Kai and the Divine Medallion
by Phoenix Neo
Summary: Kai is back and better than ever! He and his friends are now adventurers for hire, but while they are on their adventures, they must find the lost pieces of a legendary treasure that could destroy the world! Can they do it? Only one way to find out...
1. Chapter 1: Treasure Hunting

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 1: Treasure Hunting**

_**Thousands of years ago, there was only one being. He was known as the Divine One. He created the world and everything in it. When he was done, he vanished, leaving behind only a silver medallion…**_

_**Years later, the King of All Evil, who is said to be more powerful than even the Lord of Darkness himself, found the medallion and decided to put its power to his own use. But as soon as he touched it, it split into six pieces. Suddenly, the six shards of the medallion scattered across the world, and the King of All Evil was sealed within the medallion's chamber for all eternity.**_

Inside a deep, dark cave, a colony of Zubat rested peacefully to prepare for their next hunt for food.

"RUN!!!" Toad shouted.

Suddenly, our five heroes, Kai, Toad, Hazel, Zero, and Serena, rushed through the cave in sheer terror. Following them was a giant boulder.

"I feel a bit like Indiana Jones," Kai said.

"Less talking! More running!" Hazel shouted.

They continued to rush through the cave as the boulder chased them.

"Next time something says 'Do Not Touch', DON'T TOUCH IT!!!" Toad shouted to Serena.

"Why would I leave a large pearl like this just sitting there," Serena said as she held a large pink pearl in her right hand. "This thing must be worth a fortune!"

"We came in here for the hidden treasure, not a pearl," Zero said.

"What if the treasure isn't worth as much as we think?!" Serena argued. "Then you'll be thanking me for getting this pearl!"

"Yeah," Toad said sarcastically. "Thanks for nearly **KILLING US** for a stupid pearl!"

"Now isn't the time to argue!" Hazel shouted. "We can argue once we get away from that rock!"

"Why don't you just blast the thing away, Kai?" Serena asked. "Use the **Dragon Pulse** or something."

"I would, but I can't exactly charge the blast enough to destroy that boulder before it flattens me," Kai said.

"Right," Serena said.

They continued to rush through the cave. Soon, they fell into a hole just large enough to hold the five of them. The boulder, which was too large to fit into the hole, rolled right over them. They all sighed with relief.

"That was fun," Kai said.

Suddenly, they heard a crash. They worked their way out of the hole and continued down the cave's path. Soon, they reached a point where it looks like a wall was destroyed by the very boulder that was chasing them. Beyond the opening in the wall was a large room with a treasure chest in it.

"We found it!" Hazel exclaimed.

They all entered the room. Serena ran up to Toad.

"You were saying?" Serena asked happily.

"Fine," Toad grumbled. "Thanks for getting that stupid boulder to open the wall for us."

As soon as they reached the treasure chest, Kai and Toad attempted to open it. The chest was locked.

"It must need a key," Kai said.

"Or we could do it the old-fashioned way," Serena said.

Serena pulled out two needles. She then began to pick the lock with her needles. After a minute, the lock clicked, and Serena opened the chest. Inside the chest was a golden statue of a phoenix.

"Is that it?" Hazel asked.

"I guess so," Toad said. "I guess that the info the guy sold us wasn't worth as much as we thought."

"If I clean this thing up, we might get enough gold to get more gold back than what we paid for the information," Serena said. "That's a 'might', however."

"This sucks," Hazel said angrily. "I hate when we get misleading info like this. The guy said that the treasure would be amazing."

"No use crying over spilt milk," Zero said. "Just grab the bird and let's go."

Toad and Serena then pulled the phoenix statue out of the chest and placed it in Toad's backpack. They began to leave. Kai took one step, then he noticed something silver in the chest. He picked it up. It looked like a small silver triangle with a rounded side. It could be a piece of…something.

"What could this be?" Kai thought. "I'll keep it for later."

Kai put the silver shard in his pocket and followed the rest of the group. A day later, they reached a town called "Everwood." Everwood is famous for its adventuring guild, where the most famous of adventurers can be found and hired to do different jobs.

In town, Serena sold the golden statue they found. She did manage to get a good price for it. She came back to the group with the gold they had earned.

"We got more than I thought," Serena said. "We have enough to enjoy a feast tonight. Joining that adventurers' guild was a good idea.

"I thought so," Kai said. "We get paid to have adventures!"

"I just wish that the profit for some of our jobs is larger than just a small statue," Toad complained.

"Maybe we'll get a better job today," Kai said. "Let's head over to the guild and get some dinner."

"Good idea," Hazel said. "I am getting kind of hungry."

At dinnertime, Kai and his friends made it to the most famous place in Everwood. Inside, many tough-looking, weapon-wielding adventurers were eating, relaxing, and chatting about their adventures. Kai's group immediately went to the counter, where an old guy with a grey beard and mustache was counting the money he had made for the day.

"Hey there, Gus," Kai said.

The old man looked up at him. This guy, Gus, was the owner of the building.

"That was quick," Gus said. "I didn't expect you guys for another day or two. Did you finish the job?"

"Of course," Toad said. "By the way, here's our rent for the month."

Toad handed Gus a small sack of gold coins. Gus promptly counted the coins. This was because Kai's group has been living in the apartment complex that was just above the main room. Gus makes money by renting the rooms off to adventurers.

"Alright," Gus said. "You guys enjoy yourself. Dinner for tonight is an all-you-can-eat-buffet."

"SWEET!!!" Kai exclaimed. "Thanks, Gus!"

A few minutes later, everyone at the restaurant was staring at one particular table. At that table, Kai was eating his food like there was no tomorrow. Plates stacked higher and higher as time passed by.

"Excuse me, sir?" a waitress asked Kai. "Are you even tasting our food?"

Kai quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Of course," Kai said. "What's the point of eating good food if you don't taste it?"

Kai then continued to shovel food into his mouth.

"I know that this is 'all-you-can-eat', but that kid's eating it all!" a guy at another table whispered to his friend.

"That one kid gives the chefs around here a workout," his friend whispered back.

Soon, Kai had finished eating. He had already stacked three tall pillars of plates in front of him.

"That was good!" Kai happily said. "Especially the roast!"

"So what should we do now?" Hazel asked. "I've already asked around. Nobody wants anything done right now."

"I guess we can take a break," Kai said. "We could go supply shopping."

"Good idea," Serena said. "I need to purchase some more needles."

"So we'll go shopping in the morning," Kai said.

The following morning, Kai's group separated into three groups to go shopping around town. Serena and Zero headed toward the weapons shop to purchase shuriken, kunai knives, needles, and other things. Toad and Hazel head for some of the magic shops. Kai decided just to walk around and find something he liked.

As Kai walked around, he managed to purchase some more bomb-rocks, as his supply of them had run short. Soon, it was getting late.

"I better head back to the guild for dinner," Kai thought.

Kai began to run back.

"Wait," a mysterious voice said from a nearby alley.

Kai stopped in his tracks. He walked toward that alley. Inside was someone in a purple and gold cloak. This person's face was completely hidden.

"You have found something of great importance," the stranger said.

Kai figured out that this person was a woman because of her voice.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"The object in your pocket," the woman said. "It is merely a piece of the most sacred object in the world, the Divine Medallion."

"The Divine Medallion?" Kai repeated.

"It is said that whoever holds the medallion is given god-like powers," the woman continued. "It is your destiny to gather the six pieces of the medallion."

"So I have another quest," Kai said. "Wait a minute, just who are…"

But he was too late. The woman had disappeared from sight.

"That is odd," Kai said. "Oh well. Maybe I should as Hazel about the medallion thingy."

Kai rushed back to the guild.

"THE DIVINE MEDALLION?!" Hazel shouted when Kai told his friends about what had happened.

"Do you know about it?" Kai asked.

"Everyone who is interested in history knows about it!" Hazel exclaimed.

"So maybe you should tell us ignorant guys about it," Toad said.

"Alright," Hazel said. "The Divine Medallion is said to have been formed from the energy from the original god of the world."

"The god of the world?" Kai asked.

"He is said to have created the world and everything in it," Hazel said. "His power was said to be limitless, and it is said that the medallion contains it all!"

"So its some all-powerful item that has been lost for centuries," Zero said. "That seems to be right up our alley."

"Even if the medallion doesn't have the power we believe, it is still the oldest treasure in history," Hazel said. "If we were to find all of the pieces of the medallion, the medallion would be **priceless**."

This word echoed in Serena's head. Serena started to grin brightly.

"Kai, Serena's got that look in her eyes again," Toad said. "I'm scared."

Serena pulled out a small device that she seemed to understand. She began to press several buttons on it.

"If we were to find this treasure, clean it, and sell it to the highest bidder…" Serena began.

Suddenly, Serena saw something on the device that made her smile widen.

"We would have enough money to purchase several castles **AND** fully furnish them!" Serena exclaimed. "WE HAVE TO FIND THEM!!!"

"There's one problem: the shards are probably scattered across the globe," Toad said. "Plus, it's not like we have a radar that could detect them. It's like going on a wild goose chase."

"I DON'T CARE!!!" Serena shouted. "The treasure of the century is just around the corner! If we find it, we'll all be richer than the Holy King himself!"

"So how do we find them?" Toad asked.

"That's easy," Kai said. "We just keep taking adventuring jobs until we end up finding them."

"Easier said than done," Hazel replied. "If we try that, it could take years to find them all."

"Still, it kills two birds with one stone," Kai said. "We'll keep taking jobs and pay off the rent, plus we can find the shards of the medallion."

"That seems to be our best idea for now," Zero said.

"That settles it!" Serena exclaimed. "The Divine Medallion is ours!"

From another table, a man in a green cloak was listening in on their conversation.

"A treasure?" he thought. "They must've found a rare treasure. The boss will want to hear about this."

The man in the green cloak slipped away from the guild. He made his way to a small building filled with many fierce-looking men and women. Sitting at a large throne was the most muscular of the men. He wore no shirt, for he was showing off his abs. But he still wore pants.

"BOSS!" the man in the green cloak shouted.

The large man looked toward the green cloak wearing man.

"What do you want, Mel?" the large man asked.

Mel whispered something into the boss's ear. The boss's eyes widened at the news.

"Alright, boys!" the boss shouted. "We have a new treasure to steal!"

Everyone looked toward him.

"Our good friend, Mel, overheard a conversation that was going on among some teenagers," the boss said. "Apparently, they have found the rarest of all treasures! We will steal this from them and become richer than our wildest beliefs!"

Everyone cheered.

"Since they are only teens, I doubt we'll need very many men," the boss said. "I, Mammoth, will go with our ten strongest men."

They all cheered.

"Mel, take us to these kids," Mammoth said.

That night, Kai was enjoying desert with his friends. On his plate was a large slice of a strawberry cake with an extremely sugary frosting and a strawberry on top.

"This is great!" Kai exclaimed. "I got the last slice of cake! It's all mine!"

"It's just cake," Toad said.

"Not true, my friend," Kai said. "This is the best tasting cake that the chefs here bake. We've always been gone when they make it. But we're finally here when the cake is! Now to dig in!"

Kai grabbed his fork. He then stuck his fork into the cake and took off a nice chunk. He then slowly lifted the fork to his mouth.

Just as the cake reached Kai's lips, something burst through the wall. The force of the blast knocked all of the tables over. Kai's cake fell onto the floor.

Toad, Zero, Hazel, and Serena scrambled to their feet. At the hole in the wall were Mammoth, Mel, and ten other muscular men.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Hazel shouted.

"Are these the kids?" Mammoth asked.

"Yes, sir!" Mel answered.

"Good," Mammoth replied. "Alright, kiddies. I'll make this simple: hand over the treasure or die. It's your choice."

"If we say no?" Toad asked.

"Then you fight my ten men," Mammoth answered.

Mammoth snapped his fingers, and the ten muscular men stepped forward and drew their weapons.

"Only ten?" Serena asked. "That's too easy."

"I'll take the five on the right," Zero said. "You guys can…"

Suddenly, a chill filled the room. Kai stood up and drew his sword. He glared toward the ten men.

"That…was…the last slice," Kai said maliciously. "You will not escape your painful doom!"

"Maybe we should step back," Hazel said.

"Ok," the others agreed.

Kai then charged forward. The ten men began to attack Kai with their weapons, but he countered all of their attacks. Kai began to knock them down one-by-one. Within less than a minute, Kai had defeated all ten of them. Mammoth and Mel were left aghast by what they just saw.

"Just…because you can take down my men…doesn't mean you can beat me!" Mammoth shouted.

Mammoth drew a gigantic axe. When Mammoth swung his axe down, Kai merely stepped out of the way. He then charged forward with a slash. Mammoth just took the attack.

"You won't hurt me with that toothpick!" Mammoth gloated. "I have more endurance that the hardest of metals! Now die!"

Mammoth continued to swing his axe. Kai dodged and blocked with his swords, but when he attacked, Mammoth just took the hit.

"Your friend doesn't seem to be winning," a nearby waitress said.

"Kai's taking it easy on this guy," Zero said. "I don't blame him. This guy doesn't know the first thing about fighting."

Mammoth soon grew tired from his continuous swings.

"Why…can't…I…hit…you?!" Mammoth shouted while he swung.

"Simple," Kai said. "An axe that big isn't very fast to swing. Dodging it is easy. Since things are getting boring, it's time I show you how to wield a weapon."

Kai then began to charge a white energy into his blade. Mammoth could now sense the danger he was in. Kai pulled his sword back.

"**DRACO METEOR**!!!" Kai shouted as he swung his sword vertically.

As he swung, the white energy that he stored into he blade shot out toward Mammoth, completely tearing up anything in its path. Once it hit its target, Mammoth was blasted far away. He disappeared into the night sky. Mel just stood there in fear for a minute. Toad walked up to him.

"This is the part where you run away," Toad whispered.

Mel's legs began to shake. He then ran away, screaming. Toad, Hazel, Zero, and Serena just laughed.

"Fights like that are fun to watch," Serena said.

"True," Zero said.

Kai gloomily stared at his stomped-on, dirty piece of cake that had been forced onto the ground.

"We'll get more cake later," Hazel said. "In fact, I'll bake you one when we're on the ship."

Kai happily cheered.

"I guess it's time to hit the hay," Toad said. "Tomorrow morning, we get a job!"

They all began to run upstairs so they could sleep. Gus just stared at the wreckage the battle had caused.

"I guess this is one of the disadvantages of running an adventuring guild," Gus said. "I'll get a mop."

Gus walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2: Ghostbusters

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 2: Ghostbusters**

"A haunted mansion?" Hazel asked.

Kai and his friends were talking to their newest client, a young woman with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a light-blue shirt and white shoes. Her name was Allison.

"Yes," Allison answered. "I have recently inherited a mansion from my grandfather, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. After I learned about it, my fiancé urged me to let him check out the building first, to see if it was safe. But it's been three weeks since he left."

"Have you been to the mansion yet?" Kai asked.

"I haven't walked inside, but I have passed by it once," she answered. "When I did, I could've sworn I heard a strange moaning. Not only that, I saw the lights in the mansion flicker on and off! I was so scared that I ran off! But I'm scared about what could've happened to my Jeremy!"

She started to cry. Toad put his hand on her shoulder.

"No problem," Toad said. "We'll go in there and find your boyfriend."

Allison wiped her tears from her eyes. She still looked like she was about to cry.

"You do know that we won't do this for free, right?" Serena asked.

"I'm willing to pay any price!" Allison immediately replied. "Along with the mansion, I inherited some of my grandfather's money!"

"Then it's no problem," Serena said.

"Thank you," Allison said.

"You don't even have to pay until we get back," Kai said. "Just give us some contact information so we can get a hold of you after we're done."

"Alright," Allison said.

That night, Kai's group made it to the mansion. Thunderclouds were hanging over the mansion. A flash of lighting shot from the clouds.

"Whoa," Kai said. "I've never seen a real haunted mansion before!"

"Usually, these mansions are just filled with trickster ghosts, like Boos or Gengars, that like to pull pranks on people," Toad said. "The reason that Jeremy disappeared is probably because they are playing with him."

"Alright," Kai said. "We got ghosts to exterminate!"

They all walked into the building. The main room of the hallway was nearly pitch-black because of how dark it was outside, but Kai could still see the surroundings. Ahead of them was a set of stairs leading to the next floor. All around this room were doors that led to other doors. To the right were stairs that led to the basement.

"This place will take forever to search one-by-one!" Toad complained.

"We should probably split up," Zero said. "Kai, you and Hazel should search this floor. Toad, you've got the basement. Serena, you and I have the upstairs area."

"Why do I have to be on my own?!" Toad asked.

"Because your magic can help you survive in a mansion like this," Zero answered. "You may not believe this, but your skill at using spells far outweighs the rest of us."

"True," Toad said.

"So it's settled," Zero said. "Let's move out."

So the group split up. Zero and Serena headed upstairs while Toad descended toward the basement.

"I guess we should split up and examine the rooms separately," Kai said. "That will make searching much quicker."

"Good idea," Hazel said.

Kai and Hazel then entered different doors. Kai's room was almost empty except for the single piano. To the right was a door leading to the room next door.

"I don't see any ghosts here," Kai said. "Maybe I should check the piano."

Kai then walked up to the piano. Suddenly, the lid opened and revealed sharp teeth. The piano then began to charge toward Kai. Kai screamed and jumped out of the piano's way. The piano turned around and opened its mouth again.

"Have something spicy!" Kai shouted as he picked up a bomb-rock and threw it.

The bomb-rock flew straight into the piano's mouth. The piano closed its mouth, and it blew up into many pieces.

"I don't know what possessed someone to build that thing," Kai said.

Kai then walked through the door that led to the next room. Meanwhile, Zero and Serena continued to search upstairs. They eventually came to a door with a sinister pair of eyes carved into it.

"Want to try it?" Zero asked.

"Why not?" Serena replied.

They then opened the door. Inside were about a dozen boos dancing around a record player. The song that was playing was somewhat upbeat.

"They seem to be having a party," Serena said.

The boos then turned their attention to Zero and Serena.

"I think they heard you," Zero said.

Suddenly, all of the boos flew straight toward them. Zero threw some shuriken toward them, but they passed right through the ghosts.

"Damn!" Zero shouted. "Weapons don't work!"

Four boos then grabbed onto Serena's arms and legs. Four other boos grabbed onto Zero's.

"Get off!" Serena shouted.

But she couldn't move her arms or legs. Neither could Zero. The two of them struggled to move.

"What's going on?!" Serena shouted.

"They've possessed our arms and legs," Zero answered. "We're like puppets to them now!"

"What are they going to do?!" Serena asked.

"They could do anything at this point," Zero answered. "They could even have us fight each other."

Serena and Zero continued to try getting rid of the boos, but it didn't work. One of the boos that wasn't holding onto either of their legs ran over to the record player. He then switched the records and turned it on. The song that was playing was the "Time Warp."

"What the hell?" Zero asked.

The music reached the main part of the song:

_**It's just a jump to the left**_.

Zero and Serena were forced to jump to the left.

"Huh?" Serena asked.

_**And then a step to the right!**_

They then followed this step to the music.

_**You put your hands on your hips.**_

Once again, Zero and Serena put their hands on their hips.

"This is getting stupid!" Serena shouted.

_**And bring your knees in tight!**_

They continued through the dance.

_**But it's the pelvic thrust…**_

Zero and Serena began to thrust their pelvises back and forth.

_**That really drives you insane!**_

"I'm going crazy!" Zero shouted angrily.

_**Let's do the Time Warp AGAIN!!!**_

The whole room began to spin. The floor then began to slant toward the center, where a hole appeared. Zero and Serena were forced down the hole by an wave of boos. The boos spun them around and around until they fell through the hole, just like a toilet.

_**Let's do the Time Warp AGAIN!!!**_

The music began to fade as Zero and Serena fell down the hole.

Meanwhile, Toad was searching a long hallway that his stairs led to. He was using a **Fire** spell as a light so he could see.

"I wonder where Jeremy is," Toad said to himself. "I just want to get out of this place ASAP."

Suddenly, Toad heard a faint screaming above him. He looked up and saw a hole appear on the ceiling. Serena suddenly fell from the hole and landed on top of Toad with a loud thud.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Toad shouted.

"Yeah, like I wanted to fall through a giant ghost toilet and land on top of you!" Serena shouted back.

"Ghost toilet?" Toad asked.

"That's right!" Serena shouted. "Some stupid ghosts forced Zero and I to dance, and we were flushed down a…wait a minute! Where's Zero?!"

Zero was still sliding down the dark tunnel.

"I hate this!!!" Zero shouted.

Back on the main floor, Hazel was in a room with three closets in it. There were no other doors besides the closets and the one she came from.

"I guess this is a dead end," Hazel said.

Hazel turned the knob on the door she came in from and pulled the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"What the?" Hazel said. "Open up!"

Hazel tugged on the door as hard as she could, but it wouldn't open. She eventually gave up.

"I guess I'm stuck here," Hazel said.

She then faced the closets. One of the knobs of a closet door began to turn. Immediately afterwards, that door swung wide open. Nothing was inside except for some clothes.

"Weird," Hazel said.

Out of nowhere, three boos appeared behind Hazel and pushed her into the closet. The door closed and rustling noises were heard, along with Hazel's shouting. When the door reopened, Hazel came out, but she was in different clothes. She was wearing a black corset, white bunny ears, a collar with a red bow, cuffs, a fluffy cottontail, and fishnet stockings. Hazel was shocked by her sudden wardrobe change.

"WHAT THE?!" Hazel shouted.

The boos in the room began to laugh. Suddenly, Hazel heard screaming from the ceiling. Suddenly, a hole appeared on the ceiling in front of her. Zero fell from the hole and landed on the floor. He got up and looked at Hazel.

"Nice…uh…suit," Zero said.

"SHUT UP!!!" Hazel shouted. "Those stupid boos did this!"

"At least you weren't flushed down a toilet," Zero said. "Serena and I were separated when we fell down the hole."

Suddenly, one of the other closets opened, and Serena and Toad walked through. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Zero and Hazel.

"Why are you in a bunny suit?" Serena asked.

"Long story," Hazel replied.

"Those stupid boos are playing with us!" Toad shouted. "But there's power in numbers. As long as we're together, we can…where is Kai?!"

Kai was walking down some stairs. When he reached the bottom, he found a door. He opened the door and found himself on the roof. He just looked around.

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "I went down! I went down! How did I end up on the roof?!"

Suddenly, a mysterious laugh echoed in the air. Kai looked around for the source of the laughter. He eventually saw a large boo appear out of nowhere. He was wearing a gold and red crown.

"Who the hell are you?!" Kai shouted as he drew his sword.

"You and your friends will never escape!" King Boo shouted. "You will be utter playthings for my people forever, just like the earlier fool who came here!"

"You mean Jeremy?" Kai asked.

"Yes," King Boo said. "And you will suffer his fate!"

King Boo began to fly around the roof. Kai watched as King Boo confusingly flew around and around. King Boo then made spike balls appear out of nowhere. He threw these new weapons towards Kai. Kai used his sword to block, but upon contact with the first one, it exploded, which caused the others to explode. Kai was forced against a force field that surrounded the roof.

"We can't have you fall off yet," King Boo said. "The fun is just getting started!"

King Boo continued to throw spiked projectiles toward Kai. This time, however, Kai knew to run away. The bombs exploded when they hit the ground.

"You like explosives?" Kai asked. "TAKE THIS!!!"

Kai threw a bomb-rock toward King Boo. King Boo merely moved out of the way. The bomb-rock bounced off of the force field and hit the ground right in front of Kai, sending Kai flying into the air. Kai then fell onto the ground.

"Watching you hurt yourself is more fun than doing it myself!" King Boo cackled.

"This ain't working," Kai thought.

The door Kai came through opened up. Hazel, Toad, Zero, and Serena came through. Hazel was back in her own clothes.

"We went down!" Toad shouted. "How did we get on the roof?"

"Kai!" Hazel shouted.

"What took ya?" Kai asked.

Kai dodged another spiked projectile.

"Do you guys know how to beat this guy?" Kai asked.

"Ghosts can only be harmed by magic," Toad said. "Use spells to beat it!"

"No problem," Kai said.

Kai then concentrated energy into his right palm. A sphere of white magical power formed in his hand.

"**DRAGON PULSE**!!!" Kai shouted as he launched the spell.

The spell hit King Boo and blew him against the force field. Touching the force field seemed to cause him great pain, and he disappeared.

"That was cool," Kai said. "If only I thought of that before I hit myself with a rock. Now to find Jeremy."

"We already found him," Toad said. "We found him in a jail cell when we were trying to find you."

"He's waiting for us outside," Zero said.

"Let's just get out of this madhouse!" Toad shouted.

They walked through the door. After an hour of walking through a maze, they reached the outside. A man in a red suit was waiting for them. He had brown hair and brown eyes. This was Jeremy.

"Thanks for helping me," Jeremy said.

"No problem," Kai said. "Anyway, let's just get you back to Allison. She's pretty worried."

"Let's go!" Jeremy exclaimed. "I've got to tell her everything about that place!"

They all began to head back to Everwood. Serena secretly pulled out a few pictures of Hazel in a bunny suit.

"Hello, blackmail," Serena whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Hazel asked.

"Nothing!" Serena immediately answered as she hid the pictures.

Now they continued toward Everwood as the sun was rising.

(Alright. For those of you who don't know what the "Time Warp" is, look it up on Google.)


	3. Chapter 3: The Fortune Teller

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 3: The Fortune Teller**

Kai and his friends were sailing to a place known as Farebury, where their next mission would take place. They were called there by a letter that was sent to them back at Everwood. The letter said the following:

"Dear Kai Kamai,

"I have heard of the many adventures you and your crew have had here in my hometown of Farebury. I am in need of your help, and will pay you any price. Please meet me in Farebury."

"So there was no return address or anything?" Toad asked.

"Right," Kai said. "I guess we'll find out who our client is when we get there."

"It doesn't matter as long as we get paid!" Serena exclaimed happily.

"I still can't believe that we're pretty famous," Kai said.

"Well what do you expect?" Toad asked. "Rumors of our adventures have spread all across the globe. Remember that it was the same way on Lavalava Island with Chief Yoshi."

"True," Hazel said. "But it's still unbelievable that we're known as far as Farebury. It's a five-day-long trip from Everwood to there."

"I wonder if we will find treasure on this trip," Kai said. "Maybe we can find another shard of the Divine Medallion."

"Hopefully," Hazel said.

They continued to sail until they reached the Farebury region, where the town of Farebury was waiting for them. As the walked to the town, they saw many strange creatures like living slime and rabbits with horns.

"This place is odd," Hazel said. "I've never seen creatures like this before."

"Let's just get to town and find our client," Zero said.

They eventually made it to Farebury. Farebury was a town filled with shops and people going from building to building. There was also a pub, a church, and an inn.

"Cool," Kai said.

"Where should we look?" Hazel asked.

"Let's split up," Zero said. "Kai, you take the pub. Toad, you head for the weapons shop. Hazel, you take the armor shop. Serena, you take the item shop, and I'll take the inn."

"Alright," everyone agreed.

The five of them then separated. Kai walked over to the inn. Inside were several people enjoying drinks. There was a guy with long-black hair, a black mustache, and an orange robe talking to the bartender. Kai began to listen to their conversation.

"Haven't you had enough, Mr. Kalderasha, sir?" the bartender asked. He spoke with a French accent.

Kalderasha didn't answer.

"I'm sorry, but I've got a business to run," the bartender continued. "This, er, haphazard fortune-telling of yours is costing me a fortune in free drinks!"

"WHAT?!" Kalderasha shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. "My fortune-telling…HAPHAZARD?! Are you a complete fool?! Let me tell you something for free. All fortune-telling is 'haphazard'! What do you expect?! Anyway, so what if I saw it? So what if I foretold the fire? If I'd tried to stop it, then what?! It would only have led to another disaster, that's what!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kalderasha sir," the bartender replied. "I don't follow…

"If you're saying you knew about the fire, shouldn't you at least have warned Master Rylus?"

"Yes…" Kalderasha said. "Poor Rylus… How many times I argued with the old man… I cannot believe he is gone…"

The drunken fortune teller looked toward Kai.

"What?!" he shouted. "What is it?"

His eyes then widened. He stood up and looked toward Kai, who stepped back in surprise.

"Hmm?!" Kalderasha said. "You! Come, show your face to the Great Kalderasha! Yes! Yeeesss!"

Suddenly someone burst through the door to the bar. It was a young man.

"Quick!" the guy shouted. "There's a fight going on just outside of the inn!"

Everyone in the bar began to rush out of the bar.

"Inn?" Kai thought. "It can't be…"

Kai followed them. Just outside of the inn, five muscular men wielding weapons were surrounding Zero.

"We don't like nosy little brats like you!" one of the shouted. "We're going to beat you up so bad!"

"Yeah!" the other guys agreed.

"Five against one," Zero said. "That doesn't seem fair. You might want to get more guys."

"Little punk!" the first guys shouted. "Die!"

He was swinging an axe as he rushed toward Zero. Zero merely ducked and slid out of the way. He then kicked the guy's feet from under him. Another of the guys held a hammer above his head as he rushed toward Zero. Zero dodged the guy's hammer swings. As he was dodging, two other guys ran behind Zero. Zero saw them coming, and began to form a few hand-signs. The three guys hit Zero with their weapons simultaneously. When they hit, a cloud of smoke covered Zero, and he was replaced with a log.

"What the?!" one of the guys shouted.

Zero was on top of the inn. He began to form a few more hand-signs. He then jumped onto the ground. The four conscious guys looked toward him.

"**Earth Style: Mud Swamp**!" Zero shouted as he slammed his hands onto the ground.

A stream of energy shot from Zero's hands and surrounded the four guys. The ground below them suddenly turned into a deep pond of mud. The four guys began to sink into the mud. They struggled to get free. Once only their heads were visible, Zero formed some more hand-signs and slammed his hands onto the ground once more. The mud that surrounded the four guys hardened. Now only their heads were visible. Zero crouched down and looked at one of them.

"Don't worry," Zero said. "I'm sure your buddy will dig you out as soon as he wakes up."

Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Serena made their way through the crowd that was watching the fight. They walked up to Zero.

"What happened?" Serena asked.

"They were talking about a fire of some sort," Zero answered. "I tried to listen in, and they challenged me to a fight. I tried to warn them, but…"

Zero then pointed toward the five guys.

"…they just wouldn't listen," Zero finished.

"Nice," Kai said.

"You said something about a fire," Serena said. "What do you mean?"

"I heard about it too," Kai said. "Some guy named Rylus was killed."

"As long as he wasn't our client, that doesn't matter," Serena said. "Now we'd probably be best to keep a low profile after…this."

"We'll just come back into town in the morning," Kai said. "Let's go."

They all rushed out of town. Once they were outside, they noticed that it was dark out.

"This sucks," Toad said. "We never found our client."

"Oh well," Hazel said. "We'll just have to try again in the morning. For now, let's sleep in our tents outside."

They began to walk off.

"Wait!" a young woman's voice shouted.

They all turned around. The voice belonged to a young woman with light-purple hair, blue eyes, a white dress, and a yellow and red apron.

"Please wait," she continued. "I'm sorry to come running after you like this. It's just that…I wanted to ask you a favor."

The heroes looked towards each other. They then turned back to the girl.

"Are you…our client?" Zero asked.

"Yes," the girl answered. "I dreamt about you. I dreamt that some people came to town with a strange creature. It was…sort of halfway between human and a mushroom…

"And I dreamt that they could make wishes come true…"

"A strange creature?!" Toad exclaimed. "Are you referring to me?"

Kai began to laugh a bit.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl immediately said. "I didn't mean to be rude!"

"No problem," Toad said. "Anyway, you said you had a dream about me. That's odd."

"I'm sorry…" the girl continued. "I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Valentina, daughter of the great fortune teller, Kalderasha. If you could just come to my house, I'll explain everything there. It's by the well, at the far end of town. I'll be waiting for you!"

She ran back into town.

"Ok," Hazel said. "What was that?"

"I say we found our client!" Serena exclaimed. "Change of plans! We're going back into town tonight!"

"I'll stay here," Zero said. "The town's police might be after me after the fight. Going back into town right now might not be a smart idea."

"I'll leave you a tent, then," Hazel said as she handed a tent to Zero.

"Alright," Serena said. "Let's find this house!"

Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Serena then entered the town as Zero began to pitch his tent. The group that entered town made their way to the house by the well at the other end of town.

"We found it," Kai said.

Kai knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"I wonder where she is?" Hazel asked.

"Let's go in a find out," Kai said.

"Kai, if nobody's there, the door's probably…" Toad began.

Kai opened the door with no problems.

"…locked," Toad finished.

"Let's go," Kai said.

They all walked inside. In the main room was a table with a large crystal ball on it. Valentina was sleeping behind it.

"She's asleep!" Serena exclaimed. "She calls us all the way here, and she's asleep!"

Kai walked up to her and nudged her shoulder. She began to open her eyes. When Kai's group came into focus, she immediately sat up.

"Ah!" Valentina exclaimed. "You came!"

She stood up and wiped dust off of her apron.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I…I must have drifted off. How rude of me!

"No problem," Toad said. "So what did you want to talk to us about?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor about this crystal ball," Valentina answered.

"This one?" Serena asked as she looked at the crystal ball.

"Sorry," Valentina said. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should start from the beginning?"

"Sure," Kai answered.

"Of course," Valentina said. "Let me explain. My father, Kalderasha, was once a really famous fortune teller. Lost treasure, missing people… There was nothing the Great Kalderasha couldn't help people with. But then one day he lost his powers. All of a sudden, nothing he foretold turned out to be true anymore."

"Why?" Hazel asked.

"It's probably because he stopped using a real crystal ball," Valentina answered. "This glass ball isn't…"

Before she could finish, the door to the house opened. Everyone looked toward the door and saw Kalderasha walk into the door.

"Valentina!" Kalderasha shouted. "What is going on here?!"

"Father…I…" Valentina stuttered.

"How many times have I told you not to touch my crystal ball?" Kalderasha asked as he walked further into the room.

He then noticed Kai.

"What?" Kalderasha asked. "Aren't you the boy from the pub?! What brings you here… Never mind!

"I do not know what my daughter has asked you, but you can forget it! I do not need your help! I am fine as I am.

"I am going to bed. Valentina! Say your farewells and show our young visitors to the door."

Kalderasha then headed up the stairs that were to the left of the table.

"I'm sorry about my father," Valentina said when she was sure that her father couldn't hear. "But whatever he says, he's the one who's really suffering since he lost his powers.

"That's why I wanted to ask you this favor. Can you find him a crystal ball? One that's big enough to bring back his powers?"

"Of course," Kai answered.

"Really?" Valentina asked happily. "You will?! Oh, this is exactly how it all happened in my dream! So far everything's come true!"

"Where exactly can we find a crystal ball?" Toad asked. "It's not like we can buy one at the nearest convenience store."

"I also dreamt that there's a crystal ball hidden inside the cave under the big waterfall to the south of town," Valentina answered. "I suppose only the daughter of the Great Kalderasha could know a thing like that!"

"Thanks for the info," Hazel said. "We'll be sure to bring you this crystal ball."

"Good luck, my friends!" Valentina shouted as they left.

Once they were outside of the house, they turned to face each other.

"It's not much of a lead, but at least we know where to start," Hazel said. "We should start looking for this crystal ball in the morning. For now, let's go to the inn and go to bed. We'll tell Zero about this in the morning."

They then headed toward the inn, where they would spend the night.


	4. Chapter 4: Waterfall Cave

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 4: Waterfall Cave**

The following morning, Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Serena met Zero just outside of town.

"So our client needs us to find a crystal ball," Zero said. "And she believes that we can find one in a cave under the waterfall, right?"

"Yep," Kai said.

"Alright," Zero said. "I guess we should start heading toward the waterfall."

They then began to walk toward where the waterfall was. They followed signs along the path that told them where the waterfall was. Soon, they reached a huge waterfall. Just underneath the waterfall was a cave.

"Alright," Kai said. "Let's go in."

So they all entered the cave. Once inside, Toad used a **Fire** spell to create a light. He held the fire within his hands.

"This should allow us to see," Toad said.

"Alright," Kai said. "Let's get moving."

Toad stood in the middle of the group, and they began to move. As they continued, they saw the many creatures that lived in the cave.

"Cool," Kai said.

As they continued, they eventually saw a pathway that was guarded by a mole-like thing with a pink hood wielding a large hammer.

"You shall not pass unless you fight me!" the mole shouted. "Be aware, I am more powerful than anyone could ever think. My mere presence scared away another person as he came up to me! Do you still wish to pass?"

"So who should take out the trash?" Zero asked.

"I don't mind hitting him," Kai said.

"Don't look at me," Toad said. "I have to keep concentrating on this fireball."

The mole just stared at them with shock.

"Y-you still w-want to f-fight," he stuttered. "That must mean that you're good fighters."

He then paused for a minute.

"Well…in recognition for your bravery, I'll let you pass," he finished.

He then quickly stepped out of the way.

"That was easy," Kai said.

They then continued through the cave. Soon, they made their way to a brightly-lit room. In here was a single path surrounded by a large pool of water. At the end of the path was a waterfall and something round that was floating in the air.

"That's it!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then rushed forward as Toad put out the fireball he had been holding this whole time.

"Doesn't it seem strange that the crystal ball is floating in the air?" Hazel asked.

"It must be a trap," Serena said.

But they were too late. Kai had already reached the crystal ball. He held his hand toward the crystal ball. Suddenly, a fish-man shot straight from the waterfall and began to float in front of Kai. Kai was surprised by this sudden appearance.

"Wha ha ha!" the fish-man laughed. "Surprise, surprise! Meet Geyzer! I am the master of this waterfall!"

The rest of the group caught up to Kai.

"Oh, how long it's been!" Geyzer continued. "How many people have gone and come! Ten long years and more I've waited! Ten years, I tell you! All the time, hoping for the left one…I mean, the right one to come…

"But enough with the introductions! Now for the troment of muth! Does this brystal call…er, crystal ball belong to you?"

"Yeah," Kai lied.

Geyzer began to laugh.

"At last!" Geyzer shouted. "At last we feet, mace to mace, you halfwit human! Now I'll teach you a moron! Argh! I mean a lesson you won't forget!"

Geyzer then flew straight toward Kai and his friends. They jumped out of the way and drew their weapons. Geyzer flew around the arena.

"**THUNDARA**!!!" Toad shouted as he launched an electric spell toward Geyzer, who flew out of the way.

"I missed!" Toad exclaimed.

"DIE!!!" Geyzer shouted.

Geyzer formed a ball of fire into his hands. He then threw the ball toward Kai and his friends. When the ball hit the ground, the fire spread.

"Hazel!" Kai shouted.

Hazel immediately surrounded them all with a barrier so the fire couldn't touch them. Zero and Serena then pulled out their projectiles. Hazel released the barrier when the flames died out, and Zero and Serena threw their weapons toward Geyzer. Geyzer swiftly dodged these attacks, however.

"Attacking from a distance won't work," Zero said. "This guy's too quick!"

Geyzer then summoned a black mist that surrounded Kai and his friends. Suddenly, Hazel, Zero, Toad, and Serena felt their energy drain away.

"What's…going…on?" Hazel asked. "I…can't…move!"

"It's…the mist!" Toad shouted. "It's cursed!"

"Really?" Kai asked. "I feel fine."

While Hazel, Toad, Zero, and Serena were struggling to move, Kai seemed to be just fine.

"What?!" Geyzer exclaimed. "My curse didn't work?!"

"I guess I'm immune to your stupid curse!" Kai shouted. "I won't go down!"

Geyzer continued to throw fireballs toward Kai. Kai used his sword to deflect the fireballs into the pool of water as he charged for Geyzer. As soon as Kai was close enough, he performed a horizontal slash. Geyzer managed to float out of the way, however.

"Just because my curse didn't work on you, it doesn't mean that wou will yin…er…I mean…oh forget it!"

Geyzer now charged straight for Kai and slashed at him with his claws. Kai took the hit and fell onto the ground. He then used a **Cure** spell to heal the wound.

"Damn," Kai thought. "I can't hit him. Not only that, he can blast me with fireballs."

Geyzer threw another fireball at Kai, who dodged it.

"What can I do?" Kai thought. "Unless I can stop him from moving, I'm done for!"

Kai looked at his friends, who were slowly regaining mobility.

"The curse is wearing off!" Hazel exclaimed.

"What?!" Geyzer exclaimed.

"That's it!" Kai thought.

Kai ran over to his friends.

"It looks like your curse is wearing off," Kai said. "Come on. Hit us with your best shot!"

"The curse will york on wou this time!" Geyzer shouted.

Geyzer raised another wave of black mist.

"What are you doing?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Trust me," Kai said.

Kai began to charge light-blue and green energy into his sword. Soon, the mist was close to him.

"**Shining Overdrive**!!!" Kai shouted as he swung his blade toward the mist.

When he hit, the mist reflected back toward Geyzer. Geyzer was hit and became immobile. Kai then charged forward with his sword. He saw a strange scar on Geyzer's head.

"That's it!" Kai shouted.

Kai then hit the scar with a vertical slash. Geyzer began to yell in pain and fell onto his back. The fight was over.

"Argh!" Geyzer screamed. "The pain, the pain! Oh, my old wound! Ever since I got this, I've not been right quite. And it's all because of you!"

"Me?" Kai asked. "What do you mean?"

"What?!" Geyzer exclaimed. "You don't know what I'm talking about? Then you…

"You're not the true owner of this crystal ball! No! The shame, the shame!"

The curse was completely lifted from Kai's friends. They all ran up to Kai and Geyzer.

"So strong!" Geyzer exclaimed. "Strong enough to withstand my fearsome might! You are no tortune-feller! Wait! Could you be…? The waterfall rears many humors, you know. I heard of a dark man who was defeated by a swere mordsman and a tagrag group of warriors. It must be you!

"I don't know what you want with this crystal ball, but it's yours now. I accept dehands… Or is it defeat?"

He then handed the crystal ball to Kai.

"One last thing!" Geyzer shouted. "Should you meet the true owner of this crystal ball, tell him this from me:

"**DON'T THROW THINGS IN THE FALLWATER**!!!"

He then held his head in pain.

"So, ware thee fell!" Geyzer painfully said. "Oh, the pain, the pain! The pain of my old wound!"

Geyzer then swam into the waterfall and disappeared.

"That was odd," Hazel commented as everyone put away their weapons.

"Might as well finish our mission," Kai said. "We still have to take the crystal ball to Kalderasha and Valentina."

They then began to exit the cave. Soon, they made it back to Kalderasha's house. They immediately opened the door and walked inside. Kalderasha was sitting behind the glass ball. His eyes were closed.

He opened his eyes and looked toward Kai, who was still holding the crystal ball.

"I knew you would return before long," Kalderasha said. "And it seems you have done as Valentina asked.

"Yeah," Kai said. "It was our mission."

"You see!" Kalderasha shouted. "Even with a glass ball, the Great Kalderasha's eyes see further than you realize! But you are meddling in matters that do not concern you. And you are wasting your time. You can bring back my crystal ball as many times as you like. I will just throw it away again!"

"Don't throw it into the waterfall!" Hazel exclaimed.

"It will open old wounds!" Toad continued.

"What?!" Kalderasha exclaimed. "Don't throw things in the waterfall? It might open up an old wound? What on earth are you talking about?"

Kalderasha then stood up and walked over to Kai.

"Enough!" Kalderasha shouted. "Listen to me! No one knows why I threw away my crystal ball. Even Valentina has no idea. I'm not about to confide in a stranger."

He then took the crystal ball from Kai's hands and held it above his head.

"This time, I will smash it into a million pieces, so it never finds its way back to me again!" Kalderasha shouted.

"Stop!" Valentina shouted. "Please stop, Father!"

They turned toward Valentina, who was standing behind them.

"I know!" Valentina cried. "I've known for ages… I know why you threw away your crystal ball."

"You…you know?!" Kalderasha exclaimed. "So you know about your real parents?"

"Real parents?" Kai asked.

"Yes," Valentina answered. "And I don't blame you for their death."

"Why not?" Kalderasha asked. "How can you not blame me, Valentina? How can you not hate me?"

"I am confused," Toad whispered to Kai.

"Because you were just fortune-telling," Valentina answered. "Just doing what you do best. I was too young to remember, but you were once a truly great fortune teller, weren't you, Father?

"No one knew where my parents had fled to. But to you, it was clear as day."

Kalderasha was silent for a minute. He then looked up toward the ceiling. There was a sad look on his face.

"Back then, there was nothing I could not see," Kalderasha said. "The Great Kalderasha was known all over the world. I was walking on air. Fortune-telling was my life. It was my soul.

"I thought only of myself. Be they good or bad, I cared not who asked me to use my crystal ball. I lived for the vision!"

"It's all right, Father," Valentina replied. "You're a good man. You took me in and raised me, didn't you? When I was just a helpless baby.

"I want to see it for myself. I want to see the Great Kalderasha in all his glory! I want to see your magnificent powers at work again, Father."

"Oh, my sweet Valentina…" Kalderasha said.

Then the whole room went silent. Kai and his friends spent the night at Kalderasha's house. He had a guest room upstairs. They also had plenty of beds there.

The following morning, Kai was the first to wake up. He saw that the rest of his friends were deep in sleep, so he decided not to wake them up. They deserved a rest.

Kai walked downstairs and saw that Kalderasha was sitting at his table. His crystal ball had replaced the glass ball that had been sitting there.

"So you are awake at last," Kalderasha said. "It is already past midday. You must have been exhausted."

"I guess," Kai yawned.

"I must thank you and your friends," Kalderasha continued. "Look! I have put my crystal ball back where it belongs.

"Many years have passed since I gazed into the crystal like this… I have to thank you for returning it to me."

The ball began to glow brightly.

"W-what is this?!" Kalderasha exclaimed.

Kai was shocked as well from what was happening.

"Yes, yes!" Kalderasha continued. "I see it! I see it! I see darkness in your future! You will soon face someone who will rival you in power! His power…is devastating! This man has the power…to kill you!"

Kai's eyes were wider than ever.

The rest of the group came downstairs. The bright light had woken them up. Toad was rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on?" Toad asked.

Everyone looked toward Kai, who was too stunned to move.

"Kai?" Hazel asked. "Are you alright?"

Kai didn't answer her.

"If that hocus-pocus of yours is working, can you tell us where the shards of the Divine Medallion are?" Serena asked.

"Let me look deeper," Kalderasha said. "Hm? What's this?"

He noticed that there was something strange about his ball.

"Yes, no question," Kalderasha continued. "This is definitely my old crystal ball. But, look here! It has been chipped. Hm! It must have hit something very hard to do this damage.

"And look! Someone has scratched some letters next to the chip…

"WHAT?! Halfwit?! Who's the halfwit?! What ignorant lowlife would do this to my crystal ball?"

"When I asked you to find something, I didn't mean ON the ball, I meant IN the ball!" Serena shouted angrily.

"I cannot seem to find any Divine Medallion shards," Kalderasha said. "They are hidden in places where not even my powers can find them!"

"Damn," Serena said. "That means that we're back at square one! If we didn't get our payment, this mission would've been a total bust!"

Serena then stomped out of the building. Valentina entered the room.

"Thank you, Kai Kamai," Valentina said. "You all are truly what I have heard. Farewell."

"See ya," Kai said.

The rest of the group followed Serena out of the room. They then began their sail back to Everwood. The whole time, Kai was thinking about what Kalderasha had said.

"Someone that can kill me," Kai thought. "I just hope that this fortune won't come true."

Kai looked out towards the sea as he worried about his future.


	5. Chapter 5: Tsubasa the Manslayer

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 5: Tsubasa the Manslayer**

Now that they were back in Everwood, they could sleep in the soft beds of the Adventurers Guild. Unfortunately, Kai couldn't sleep. He couldn't get the prediction that Kalderasha made out of his head. So he stood on a balcony and looked up at the night sky.

Hazel was heading back to bed from the bathroom when she saw that Kai was outside. She then stepped onto the balcony and stood next to Kai.

"Hey, Hazel," Kai said.

"Why are you up?" Hazel asked. "Is anything wrong?"

"Well…" Kai began.

He then told Hazel about what had happened back in Farebury.

"You shouldn't worry about it," Hazel said. "Kalderasha just said he **could **kill you. He never said that this guy **would** kill you."

"That's true," Kai said.

"Besides, you've taken down every single enemy we've ever come across," Hazel said. "I've never met someone that could beat you. You'll take this guy down with no problem."

"Thanks," Kai said. "I can sleep easy now."

Kai gave Hazel a hug and walked back inside. Hazel only stood on the balcony and smiled. After a minute, she walked back inside.

The following morning, in another town, Mammoth and Mel were searching for someone.

"Who is it we're looking for again?" Mel asked.

"We're looking for Tsubasa the manslayer," Mammoth answered.

Mel's eyes widened with shock. He stopped in his tracks.

"TS-TS-TSUBASA THE MANSLAYER!!!" Mel exclaimed. "Why in the Goddess's name are we looking for him?!"

"Because I'll do anything and pay any price to get my revenge," Mammoth said. "That memory still haunts me…"

He then had a flashback of when Kai sent Mammoth flying with his **Draco Meteor**. When the flashback ended, Mammoth was clenching his fist.

"We might not have the power to fight that swordsman," Mammoth continued, "but the legendary manslayer is said to be able to kill anyone! He has never lost a single match. Rumors say that Tsubasa the manslayer once took down an entire army by himself."

"Sir, what if Tsubasa decides to kill us?" Mel asked.

"He won't kill us as long as we pay him," Mammoth assured him. "Now we have to hurry!"

Mammoth and Mel spent the whole afternoon searching for Tsubasa. Soon, their search led them to a building with a black roof.

"This must be it," Mammoth said.

Mammoth knocked on the door. The door then slowly opened. Mammoth and Mel stepped inside. The room they came into was nearly pitch-black because there were no lights on. As they continued through the building, they soon saw a solitary flame. Beside the flame was the figure of a man sitting behind a table.

"Are you the legendary manslayer, Tsubasa?" Mammoth asked.

"I am," the man answered. "Tell me who you are before I decide to slit your throats."

Mammoth and Mel began to shake in fear.

"I-I am th-the leader of a cr-crime g-gang," Mammoth answered. "I h-have a j-job for you."

"My services don't come cheap," Tsubasa answered.

"W-Will this be e-enough?" Mammoth stuttered.

He placed a large bag of gold onto the table. Tsubasa examined it. In an instant, he sliced the bag open with his sword and looked at how much gold poured out. There was a moment of silence before Tsubasa spoke.

"You have engaged my valuable services," Tsubasa said. "Who is it that you wish for me to kill?"

Mammoth, feeling relieved, stopped shaking.

"I need you to take care of a swordsman in Everwood named Kai Kamai," Mammoth said. "Perhaps you've heard of him. He does have a reputation as large as your own."

"I have heard rumors," Tsubasa replied.

"I believe that only you can crush him," Mammoth said. "Will you do it?"

"Of course," Tsubasa said. "Once I take a job, I never back down, no matter whom the target is. In fact, the stronger my target, the harder I fight."

"Good," Mammoth said. "Kai Kamai will pay."

A gust of wind blew the single flame out, and everything went dark.

The next day, in Everwood, Serena was doing the supply shopping.

"Why did I have to draw the short straw?" Serena thought. "Now, instead of shopping for weapons or exchanging our treasures for jewelry, I have to shop for food. This sucks."

As she walked, three muscular men saw her and walked in front of her path.

"Hey there, little lady," one of them said. "How would you like to spend time with some real men?"

"Fine," Serena said. "Tell me where some real men are, and I'll go there."

Serena walked past them.

"Maybe you didn't understand me," the guy said as he and his buddies drew some axes. "You are coming with us, girlie."

Serena saw their axes through the corner of her eye and reached for her needles. Just then, one of the three men fell over. He had past out from something hitting the back of his head. Serena turned around to see a man with short, silver hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face standing before them. In his right hand was a sword with a dragon head-shaped handle. He wore a blue warrior's outfit.

"Who are you?!" one of the other two men shouted.

"If I give my name to trash like you, you'll just soil it," the man answered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" the muscular guy shouted.

"What?" the swordsman asked jokingly. "Are you deaf now?"

"YOU'RE DEAD!!!" the man shouted as he swung his axe.

The swordsman merely shot forward, and passed right by the muscular man. That man then fell over in pain. Serena's eyes were wide with shock. The remaining man shook with fear a bit, but he then got his confidence back.

"Just because you got a lucky shot, that doesn't mean that you will…" he began.

Before he could finish this sentence, the swordsman's blade was right next to his neck.

"Do you wish to finish that sentence?" the swordsman asked.

The muscular man began to stutter. He then dropped his axe and ran away. The swordsman then withdrew his sword. Serena walked forward.

"You do know that I had that, right?" Serena asked. "Those bozos didn't stand a chance against me."

The swordsman then took Serena's hand into his own and looked toward her lovingly.

"I cannot just let a group of men like that attack a beautiful woman such as yourself," the swordsman said.

Serena sharply pulled her hand back.

"Just who the heck are you?!" Serena asked.

"How rude of me," the swordsman said. "My name is Tsubasa. A lovely lady such as yourself must have a beautiful name to match."

"I'm Serena," Serena answered.

"Such a wonderful name, it is," Tsubasa said. "I wish we could get to know each other more, but I'm afraid we have to part for now. I have a swordsman to find. Farewell, my beauty."

He then slowly walked away as Serena watched.

"That was strange," Serena thought.

She then picked up the supplies she bought and headed back to the guild. As soon as she got there, she explained the whole story to her group.

"Some guy pops out of nowhere and saves you?" Kai asked.

"Right," Serena answered.

"He must be new around here," Toad said. "He didn't know just how aggressive and **in**delicate you are."

She then hit him on his mushroom head.

"Anyway, you said he was looking for a swordsman, right?" Hazel asked. "Could he mean Kai?"

"I doubt it," Zero answered. "There are about a couple dozen swordsmen within the guild alone. Imagine how many swordsmen there must be in Everwood."

"True," Serena said. "But if he is after you, Kai, you have to be careful. This guy is fast. I didn't even see him knock the two guys out."

"No worries," Kai said. "I haven't lost a fight yet."

Suddenly, the doors to the guild opened. Serena immediately recognized who was at the door. It was Tsubasa. He immediately walked over to Gus.

"I'm looking for a swordsman named Kai Kamai," Tsubasa said.

"He's right over there," Gus said while pointing to Kai's table.

"That's him," Serena whispered.

Tsubasa walked over to Kai.

"So you are the legendary Kai Kamai," Tsubasa said. "And it seems…"

He looked toward Serena. He then sat down next to her.

"…that fate has brought us back together, Serena," Tsubasa finished.

"So why are you looking for me?" Kai asked.

He immediately turned toward Kai.

"Because I have heard of your skills as a swordsman," Tsubasa said. "I am impressed by what I've heard. I wish to challenge you to a duel. We can battle on top of the roofs of Everwood. How does that sound?"

"That's fine," Kai said.

"Good," Tsubasa said. "I will meet you on the roof of this building within one hour. Don't be late."

Tsubasa then walked out of the building.

"Why did you accept?" Serena asked. "Don't you think you should know more about this guy first?"

"We didn't know about the Lord of Darkness or any of our big enemies before we beat them," Kai said. "Not only that, I never back down from a challenge."

"Then at least let me find some info on this guy," Hazel said.

"No problem," Kai said.

"I'll stay here," Zero said.

"I'll go with Hazel," Serena said. "I'd like to know more about this guy."

"I'll go too," Toad said.

Toad, Serena, and Hazel left the building.

"You're not worried?" Zero whispered when they were gone.

"Not really," Kai answered.

"I've got a bad feeling about this guy, Kai," Zero said. "There's something…sinister about him. It's as if he has a powerful secret."

"If anything goes wrong, I can use my new move on him," Kai said.

"New move?" Zero thought.

About 50 minutes later, Hazel, Toad, and Serena were still looking in the ship's library for information.

"Nothing," Hazel complained as she shut a book. "How can I not have info on this guy?!"

"I'm not sure," Serena said.

Toad then put away a book. As he did this, another book fell onto the ground and opened up. Toad picked the book up and stared at the open page. A second later, his face showed pure fear.

"H-Hazel," Toad said.

Hazel and Serena walked over to Toad. They also looked at the page. The title of the page said, "Tsubasa the Manslayer."

"Tsubasa the Manslayer is a legendary swordsman who has taken down countless enemies within the past five years," Hazel read. "Appearing out of nowhere, this swordsman has become well known throughout the world. He can be hired by anyone to…TO KILL A TARGET?!"

"KILL?!" Toad asked. "Then that means…"

"Kai's in danger!" Serena finished.

"We've got to stop that fight!" Toad shouted.

They sloppily shoved the book into the shelf and ran out of the library. Hazel thought about the prediction that Kai told her about.

"It can't be true, can it?" Hazel thought. "Please be safe, Kai."

When the hour had passed, Kai and Zero were on top of the roof. Tsubasa was on the exact other side.

"Be careful, Kai," Zero said.

"No problem," Kai said.

Kai stepped forward.

"You showed up," Tsubasa said. "I respect that."

"I never back down from a challenge," Kai replied.

"Then this is about to get interesting," Tsubasa said as he drew his sword.

He then charged forward. Kai drew his sword and blocked Tsubasa's attack. They then began to attack and block each other. They soon began to hop from rooftop to rooftop as they fought. Zero kept a close eye on them.

From a distance, two other familiar people were watching them.

"Kick his butt, Tsubasa!" Mammoth shouted.

"Boss, why are we this far from the fight?" Mel asked.

"Are you crazy?!" Mammoth exclaimed. "If we get in there, we're dead! Let's just cheer on Tsubasa from here."

"Wait," Mel said. "If they kill each other, then we wouldn't have to pay Tsubasa **and** Kai would be gone."

Mammoth looked surprise.

"You're right," Mammoth said. "Then we should pray that they both die! KILL EACH OTHER!!!"

Kai and Tsubasa continued to fight. As they fought, Hazel's group reached the rooftop of the Guild, where Zero was watching the fight.

"Zero, you have to stop the match!" Toad shouted.

"Kai's up against a **manslayer**!" Hazel exclaimed. "If we don't stop this fight…"

"If we try to stop this fight, we'll do more harm than good," Zero said. "The best thing to do is to let Kai and Tsubasa fight. Kai's on his own out there."

Hazel could only fear for Kai's life as he fought one-on-one with a manslayer…


	6. Chapter 6: Dragovian Power

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 6: Dragovian Power**

Kai and Tsubasa continued their battle. The sound of their swords clashing echoed throughout the whole town. They jumped from roof to roof as their battle continued.

While this happened, the rest of Kai's group merely watched.

"I feel so helpless just sitting here," Hazel complained.

"That's odd," Toad said.

"What?" Serena asked.

"I've watched Kai fight so much that I know his battle style," Toad said. "He doesn't seem to be giving it his all."

Zero, Serena, and Hazel immediately concentrated on the fight. They particularly watched Kai.

"You're right," Zero said.

"Is he holding back on purpose?" Hazel asked. "Why would he do that?"

Kai and Tsubasa continued to exchange blows until they both landed on separate roofs.

"You're holding back, aren't you?" Tsubasa asked.

"Only because you are," Kai replied.

Tsubasa looked slightly surprised.

"So you knew," Tsubasa said. "Impressive."

"Did I hear that correctly?!" Toad exclaimed. "That guy was holding back too?!"

"How did Kai know?" Hazel asked. "We didn't notice it."

"We're not fighting him," Zero answered. "Kai's senses are more keen to that stuff whenever he's fighting."

"True," Hazel said.

"So how about we both pull out everything," Tsubasa said to Kai. "We'll both use our full power so that it is fair."

"True," Kai said. "Let me go first. I've been practicing something for a while now. I practice it whenever I'm on the ship, heading for someplace far away.

"I've been able to do this for a while, but I've never been able to control it. Now I can use this technique, even though it's not at full power."

"Let's see it," Tsubasa said.

"What's he talking about?" Toad asked. "What hasn't he been able to control?"

"I'm not sure," Hazel replied.

Kai withdrew his sword and formed a hand-sign, much like what Zero does when he is focusing Chakra.

"A hand-sign?" Tsubasa asked. "You are no ninja."

Kai's energy began to rapidly grow.

"What's with the hand-sign?" Toad asked Zero. "Is this a ninjutsu?"

"Impossible," Zero said. "Kai doesn't practice ninjutsu. That particular hand-sign is used to concentrate energy."

Soon, when Kai's energy stopped growing, Kai opened his eyes. The magical energy seemed to concentrate into one part of his body.

"No way!" Toad exclaimed. "Is he…"

Kai's energy took the form of wings on his back.

"**Avian Transformation: STAGE 1**!" Kai thought as his wings grew completely.

Kai's wings flapped in the wings.

"Did he perfect the Avian form?!" Serena exclaimed.

"No," Hazel said. "Take a look. His wings are…different. His wings are usually either rainbow-colored or white. These are kinda grayish-white."

They took a look. Sure enough, Kai's wings were somewhat gray.

"Not only that, his energy is lower than when he is normally in his avian form," Zero said. "I can feel it from here."

"You're right!" Toad exclaimed. "I guess by sacrificing some power, he can transform into an Avian at will!"

Mammoth and Mel, who were still watching the fight, were awe-struck.

"Did he turn into a bird-man?!" Mel exclaimed.

"Maybe hiring Tsubasa wasn't such a good idea," Mammoth said. "Kamai seems much stronger than usual!"

Kai stood before Tsubasa, who was only slightly surprised by this transformation.

"So you are an Avian," Tsubasa said. "I did hear something about one battling different enemies. I guess the rumors were true.

"My hidden power…is much like yours. Like you, I have a heritage in an ancient civilization. Unlike yours, however, my people still live in a secret society."

"Huh?" Kai thought.

"You look confused," Tsubasa said. "Let me explain. I'm sure your friends would like to know as well. Like you, I am a hybrid between human and another race. Unlike yours, however, my people happen to look much like humans in normal form. They have extreme power, but this power is magnified to its full potential whenever a transformation takes place."

"Mind telling me who exactly your people are?" Kai asked impatiently.

"Have you ever known of the Dragovians?" Tsubasa asked.

"Dragovian?" Kai thought.

"What's a Dragovian, Hazel?" Zero asked.

"Don't ask me," Hazel said. "I don't know."

"The Dragovians are an ancient race of people who have the ability to transform from people into dragons," Toad said.

Hazel, Zero, and Serena looked surprised by what Toad was saying.

"Toadsworth used to tell me stories about them when I was a kid," Toad said. "Like I said, the Dragovians have the ability to transform into dragons. But Dragovians usually have pointy ears, much like an elf."

"Maybe it's his human blood," Hazel said. "You don't see wings on Kai all of the time."

"True," Toad said. "Anyway, Toadsworth would always tell me to never get into a fight with the Dragovians. They are extremely powerful, even as humans. Once they transform into dragons, however, they gain their full power."

"So is that his transformation?" Serena asked.

"It couldn't be," Toad said. "Toadsworth also told me that the dragon form can sometimes overwhelm the Dragovian's minds and they lose control. But this tends to only happen when battling."

"But if he's transforming into a dragon, he is still going to lose control!" Hazel exclaimed. "He **is** fighting!"

"What if he's found someway to counteract this problem?" Zero asked.

Kai and Tsubasa overheard this conversation.

"It's just like your friend says," Tsubasa said. "I can transform into a dragon, but it won't do me any good against you. Though it gives me great power, I lose all of my human abilities and control when transformed. But I found a stage of transformation between dragon and human that allows me to retain abilities of both. While it means I'm not as strong as a dragon, I still have ultimate strength."

Tsubasa began to concentrate energy.

"I might as well warn you," Tsubasa said. "Whenever I'm in this stage, I tend to be more…aggressive. You'll probably find yourself ripped into five pieces within only a few minutes."

Tsubasa then began to change shape. His right eye closed. When it reopened, it had changed into a demonic eye. His left arm changed into a dragon's claw, while his right hand, which held his sword, remained human. Suddenly, two, dragon wings rose from his back.

As Tsubasa transformed, Kai could feel the enormous amount of energy emitting from him. This was an insane amount of magical energy that was pounding into the world. When the energy finally stabilized, Kai just stood awe-struck at this transformation.

"This is my hybrid form," Tsubasa said in a deeper voice.

Kai could see that his teeth were more like a dragon's fangs.

"Just what happened?!" Toad exclaimed.

"I'm not sure," Zero said. "I've never seen anything like this."

Tsubasa took one step and seemed to disappear. Kai drew his sword and prepared for a fight. Tsubasa appeared behind Kai and began to slice him repetitively. Kai yelled in pain as the sword slashed him.

"We might just have to pay Tsubasa after all," Mel said.

"I guess so," Mammoth said.

Tsubasa continued to pound the seemingly helpless Kai. Kai soon crashed onto a rooftop. Tsubasa then grabbed Kai's neck with his dragon claw.

"Prepare to be ripped apart," Tsubasa said. "I always get my kill."

Kai smiled.

"Huh?" Tsubasa thought.

Kai held up his right hand, which had a sphere of white energy spinning in it.

"**DRAGON PULSE**!!!" Kai shouted as he blasted Tsubasa away with the ball of energy.

Tsubasa caught himself as he landed on another roof. When he caught himself, he saw that Kai was right in front of him. Kai charged white energy into his blade and used the **Dragon Claw**. Tsubasa was blown away again. He then caught himself as he landed on another rooftop.

"I can't believe you know those moves," Tsubasa said. "There's only one man who could've taught you those moves who isn't a Dragovian. But he died centuries ago. It's impossible!"

"Why only one guy who isn't a Dragovian?" Kai asked.

"Because those are Dragovian techniques!" Tsubasa shouted.

Everyone was surprised by this.

"It does make some sense," Zero said. "Dragovian. Dragon."

"True," Toad said.

"I'm impressed that you even know them," Tsubasa said. "But you have barely scratched the surface of the techniques' true powers."

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

Tsubasa held out his dragon claw. A **Dragon Pulse** that was much larger than Kai's formed in his palm within an instant. It then shot out twice as fast as Kai's. Kai was unable to dodge nor block this move. He was blown straight into the air.

Tsubasa then flew right above Kai and slammed down with a **Dragon Claw**, which was larger than Kai's. Kai was forced straight into the ground.

"Even if you know the moves, I know them even more," Tsubasa said.

"He's right," Kai thought. "I doubt that even the **Draco Meteor** could work at this point. I shouldn't even waste the energy. I only have one move that will work at this point: the** Shining Overdrive**.

"But that's a one-shot move. Once I use it, it's over. I better save it for last."

"I cannot let anyone wield those moves haphazardly," Tsubasa said. "This is where you die. You should be grateful. I'm about to end your life with a move I haven't used in battle yet."

Tsubasa began to charge his energy. Soon, his whole body began to glow with a blue light. The light took the shape of a dragon. Kai stood there in awe.

"**DRAGON SOUL**!!!" Tsubasa shouted as he released the energy.

The dragon-shaped energy shot straight toward Kai. While it looked like it was only the energy flying toward him, Tsubasa was actually flying toward Kai with this sword.

"I have to do it now!" Kai thought.

He began to charge green and light-blue energy into his sword.

"**Shining Overdrive**!" Kai shouted as he swung his blade.

Kai's sword collided with Tsubasa's. A huge explosion of light and energy filled the entire town. While Hazel, Zero, Toad, and Serena managed to not be forced away by the attack, Mammoth and Mel flew away.

"Not again!" Mammoth screamed as he flew into the distance.

When the light and energy faded, the building that Kai and Tsubasa were on was completely obliderated. Luckily, the building was abandoned and already prepared for demolition.

Meanwhile, both Kai and Tsubasa were on the ground. They had both returned to their normal forms. Kai's sword was no longer in his hands, however.

"It seems our battle has come to a draw," Tsubasa said. "Neither of us have the strength to continue, and your sword is of no use to you."

Suddenly, five metal pieces fell onto the ground. Upon further examination, the pieces were revealed to be parts of Kai's sword.

"While I have been hired to kill you, I refuse to do it when you cannot fight back," Tsubasa said as he withdrew his sword. "In two months, we will fight again. If you do not show up, I will abandon my honor code and kill you. Good-bye, Kai Kamai."

Tsubasa then began to walk away. Kai could only sit there. He was absolutely shocked by the battle's end. The **Shining Overdrive** failed. His sword was broken. Kai fell onto his stomach and passed out.


	7. Chapter 7: The Gigaslash

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 7: The Gigaslash**

Kai slowly opened his eyes and saw that he had been moved to a hospital room. Sitting next to him was Hazel, who was casting a healing spell on him.

"So you're awake," Hazel said. "Good."

Kai immediately sat up.

"Where's Tsubasa?!" Kai exclaimed.

He felt a great pain shred through his muscles. He fell back on his back.

"Try not to move," Hazel said. "You really took a hit there. Anyway, Tsubasa's gone. Remember?"

Kai then had a flashback of what happened after the battle.

"In two months, we will fight again," Tsubasa said. "If you do not show up, I will abandon my honor code and kill you."

The flashback ended.

"So…my sword…" Kai began.

"Toad, Zero, and Serena are trying to find a blacksmith who can fix it as we speak," Hazel said. "I'm sure they'll find one real soon."

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Toad, Zero, and Serena stepped into the room. They all looked disappointed.

"What happened?" Hazel asked.

"There's not a single blacksmith in Everwood who says that they can fix it," Zero answered.

"In fact, some of them say that there isn't a single blacksmith anywhere who could fix it," Toad said.

"So it's impossible," Kai said.

"I'm afraid so," Serena said.

"It's not too late," another voice said from outside the room.

They all looked toward the door. Gus walked inside.

"Gus?" Kai asked.

"I can't stand to see my meal-ticket laying in bed doing nothing," Gus said. "I overheard your conversation and I know where you can go. I've heard about a blacksmith who lives on Death Mountain. He is named Biggoron."

"Biggoron?" Toad asked.

"He is said to be the greatest blacksmith in the world," Gus said. "In fact, Biggoron's swords are said to never break."

"Seriously?!" Kai exclaimed happily.

"Yes," Gus said. "Finding him is another question, however. There's a reason that his swords are legendary. It's because nobody had ever seen Biggoron, even though they've all gone up Death Mountain."

"So it's going to be hard," Toad said.

"We've done harder," Zero said. "Finding someone in one place is easy."

"Let's get moving!" Kai shouted as he stood up.

He felt a great pain in his body. He fell onto his right knee, but he got up and kept moving.

"Kai, you shouldn't be moving!" Hazel exclaimed.

"We've got to get moving now," Kai said. "I only have two months to find this guy, get my sword, and train a bit before my duel begins. We have to start now."

"That's the spirit!" Gus shouted. "They knock you down, and you get right back on your feet! In order to help you out, I'll lend you a sword. It's not much, but it should help for now."

Gus pulled out a steel sword. He handed it to Kai, who sheathed it.

"Thanks, Gus," Kai said.

"Just get back here ASAP," Gus said. "You five have really gotten the guild popular. I need you guys here."

"We'll be back," Toad said.

Zero helped Kai walk out of the hospital. As soon as they were on the ship, they left and headed straight for Hyrule. Once in Hyrule, they headed straight for Kakariko village, which sat at the base of Death Mountain. Once there, they saw that the sun was about to set.

"It's getting dark," Hazel said. "We'd be best to rest here for tonight and hike up Death Mountain in the morning."

"Yeah," Zero said. "Let's check in at the local inn."

They all then walked through town until they found an inn. Once there, they walked inside and checked in for the night. They heard the door to the inn open and someone familiar walked inside.

"Metaknight?!" Kai exclaimed.

Walking straight toward them was the winged swordsman, Metaknight.

"Hello, Kai Kamai," Metaknight said. "It's been a while."

"What are you doing in Hyrule?" Toad asked.

"I have been training," Metaknight said. "Hyrule is an excellent training area."

Metaknight then saw the sword that Kai held.

"Is that a new sword?" Metaknight asked.

Kai then explained the whole story to Metaknight.

"I see," Metaknight said. "So you no longer have the sword of light. This is a problem."

"That's why we're here," Hazel said. "We have to get this Biggoron guy to fix the sword of light."

"Then I will join you on your quest," Metaknight said.

Kai and his friends looked confused.

"Without the sword of light, you might not be able to perform some of your familiar techniques," Metaknight said. "You might also find your magical power is lower than normal. So I will join you until you get your sword back."

"Thanks, Metaknight," Toad said.

"We'll set out in the morning," Metaknight said.

The following morning, Metaknight began to lead the group up Death Mountain.

"Our first step is to look in the Goron City," Zero said. "Once we're there, we can ask around for Biggoron."

"Alright," Kai said.

"I just hope that we can actually find Biggoron," Hazel said.

After several hours, they finally reached the Goron City. Once inside, several Goron's greeted them.

"Welcome, brothers Kai and Toad," one of them said.

Two Gorons then began to hug Kai and Toad tightly until they were blue from lack of air.

"Let…go…of…us!" Kai gasped.

The Gorons let go of Kai and Toad.

"What was with that?" Hazel asked.

"Ever since we defeated Dodongo, we've been kinda famous around here," Toad said.

"Yes," the Goron said. "That legendary battle saved our people from starvation. If there is anything that you want, just ask us."

"Could you tell us where to find Biggoron?" Kai asked.

The Gorons were silent for a moment.

"There's a problem, brother," the second Goron said. "Biggoron has gone missing. In fact, many of our brothers have gone missing. Anyone who heads deep into the volcano seems to disappear. Our greatest warriors are gone."

"That sucks," Serena said.

"The worst part is that our supply of food has began to shorten ever since we've been unable to enter the cave," the Goron continued. "Brother Kai, your legendary power is needed to save our people. Will you do it?"

"We came all of the way here to see Biggoron," Kai said. "Of course we're not leaving until we see him. We'll go get him."

The Gorons in the town began to cheer.

"Thank you, brother," the Goron said. "Good luck on your quest."

Kai's group then exited the town.

"So we have to head deep into a volcano," Hazel said. "We're going to burn if we're not careful."

"I…didn't think about that," Kai said. "How do we go into a volcano without melting?"

"That's where I come in," Toad said. "Check this out."

Toad dug in his pockets and pulled out a strange, red crystal.

"What's that?" Kai asked.

"It's called an Insulation Crystal," Toad said. "It can protect anyone from heat and cold for several hours. As long as we get out before it wears off, we should be able to survive."

"Great thinking, Toad!" Hazel exclaimed.

"But this means we have to hustle," Toad said. "We can't dawdle in there. We have to find Biggoron ASAP."

Soon, they made it to the entrance of a cave that led into the volcano.

"Here we go," Toad said.

He began to transfer some magical energy into the crystal. A red light emitted from the crystal and surrounded the whole group.

"Let's get moving," Metaknight said.

So they entered the volcano's cave. Even though they were basically surrounded by pools of lava, Kai and his friends felt no heat whatsoever.

"This is awesome," Kai said.

"Let's just hope we can find Biggoron before the crystal wears off," Toad said.

They then began to traverse deeper through the cave. Eventually, they entered a room filled with flaming bats.

"Put out their flames with your weapons!" Metaknight shouted. "Be sure not to touch them!"

The heroes began to attack the bats one-by-one. Toad took them out by freezing them with **Blizzara** spells. Serena's needles and Zero's shuriken managed to blow the flames on the bats out as they passed by. Zero and Serena easily defeated the bats once their flames were out. Hazel batted the bats across the room with her hammer. Metaknight and Kai sliced around the bats to put their flames out. Soon, all of the bats were gone.

"Those things can get annoying," Metaknight said.

"How do the bats survive being on fire?" Kai asked.

"Who knows?" Toad replied.

They then continued through the cave. After about half-an-hour, they reached a door.

"Seems suspicious," Zero said.

They walk through the door. On the other side was a large room. At the other end of the room was a second door. Once they were all inside, metal bars blocked the doors.

"Very suspicious!" Toad exclaimed.

Suddenly, six lizard-men wielding swords appeared out of nowhere.

"One for each of us," Serena said. "This will be fun."

The group then separated in order to fight off the Lizalfos. Kai's enemy began to hop toward Kai. The Lizalfos performed a vertical slice toward Kai. Kai managed to block it with his sword.

"Even without the sword of light, I still can fight," Kai said as he pushed the enemy away.

Kai then began to fight back with his own sword. The two of them exchanged blows until Kai knocked the Lizalfos onto its back. He then jumped up into the air and stabbed the Lizalfos in its chest, effectively killing it.

Kai noticed that all of his friends had also killed their Lizalfos. The metal bars that blocked the doors disappeared.

"That was fun," Zero said. "Now let's keep going."

As they continued forward, they fought more bats until they reached a much larger door with a carving of a flame on it.

"Let's go in," Kai said.

Kai then pushed the door open. The room they entered was surprisingly small. The only things in the room of any significance were a strange circle and a lever.

"I guess we should pull the lever," Kai said.

Kai and Metaknight walked onto the circle and pulled the lever. The room began to shake.

"What's going on?!" Hazel exclaimed.

Suddenly, the circle that Metaknight and Kai were on began to glow. Then, a barrier surrounded the two of them.

"This isn't good," Kai said.

"I think we fell for a trap," Metaknight said.

Suddenly, the circle below them disappeared. Kai and Metaknight fell into the hole that had replaced it.

They screamed loudly as they fell to the bottom. Once they hit the bottom, they stood up and looked toward the ceiling. The hole had to be at least thirty feet above them.

"Are you two alright?!" Hazel shouted from far up above them.

"No problems here!" Kai called back. "We'll get back up there as soon as possible!"

"We first have to break this stupid barrier!" Toad shouted. "I might be able to with my magic, but it will take a few minutes!"

"We can wait!" Kai shouted back.

Kai and Metaknight began to examine the room around them. It was a large arena that was surrounded by a pool of lava.

"Do you feel something…strange?" Kai asked.

Suddenly, a large, black blob immerged from the lava. The blob then grew until it was the shape of a large Goron. It roared loudly as soon as it was formed. Kai and Metaknight drew their swords.

The Goron began to launch black orbs toward them. Kai used a **barrier** spell to block while Metaknight flew out of the way. Metaknight then began to slash at the creature, but to no avail. The Goron seemed to take no damage from Metaknight's slashes. Metaknight soon gave up and landed next to Kai.

"My sword can't seem to penetrate him," Metaknight said.

"Let me try something," Kai said.

Kai held his sword in front of him.

"**Shining Overdrive**!" Kai shouted.

But nothing happened.

"What the?!" Kai exclaimed. "My attack! Why isn't it working?!"

"It might be a side-effect of losing your sword," Metaknight said.

The Goron continued to attack them. It either blasted them with orbs or it tried to crush them with its large feet. Soon, Kai and Metaknight were led into a corner.

"Nothing we do is working!" Kai shouted.

"Then it's time to pull it out," Metaknight said.

He then stepped forward.

"Pull what out?" Kai asked.

Metaknight held his sword to his side. He then began to concentrate his energy.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage_…" Metaknight began to chant.

Kai was confused at what was going on. He then saw that energy was beginning to flow into Metaknight's sword.

"…_Courage that shines brighter than the sun_," Metaknight continued. "_I pray to thee and I swear to thee. Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand_."

Metaknight's sword began to glow brighter than ever. The giant Goron then launched its fist toward Metaknight.

"**GIGASLASH**!" Metaknight shouted.

He then sliced the Goron with his shining blade. Much like Kai's **Shining Overdrive**, an explosion of energy shot from the point of contact. The energy from this attack, however, was much larger than Kai's attack's. In fact, Kai felt that this move was about 5x as strong as his own. When the explosion faded, Kai saw that the pool of lava had evaporated. Not only that, the giant, black Goron was facedown on the floor.

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed.

Metaknight fell to one knee. Suddenly, something small shot from the Goron. It fell next to Kai. Kai noticed that it was a shard of the Divine Medallion. Kai immediately picked it up.

Suddenly, the black coloring of the Goron began to disappear. The giant, black Goron was replaced my many, normal sized Gorons. In the center was a Goron that was larger than normal.

"I say we solved the mystery of the missing Gorons," Metaknight said.

Suddenly, a rope fell from the ceiling. The rest of their group slid down the rope.

"What happened?" Zero asked.

"Let's just get everyone out of here," Kai said. "I'll explain when we get out."

Suddenly, a golden ball of light fell from above them. The light filled the room and teleported them away.


	8. Chapter 8: The Brink of Death

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 8: The Brink of Death**

That night, in celebration for the victory of their heroes, the Gorons held a large feast of the most delicious rocks they could get. Luckily, Kai and his friends brought regular food so they could eat that night.

"A toast, to the legendary Kai Kamai!" the head Goron shouted.

All of the Gorons began to cheer.

Kai managed to sit beside the largest Goron at the table, who happened to be Biggoron.

"Excuse me, Biggoron?" Kai asked.

"What do you need, Brother Kai?" Biggoron asked.

"There's a reason we came up here," Kai answered. "We need your help."

"What do you need me to do, brother?" Biggoron asked.

Kai and his friends then explained the whole story to Biggoron.

"I see," Biggoron said. "Please hand me the pieces of the sword."

Toad then pulled out all of the pieces of the Sword of Light. Biggoron began to examine the pieces.

"I see," Biggoron said. "This sword has lasted a great deal of time. The metal is extremely old, but I might be able to restore it to its original strength."

"Seriously?!" Toad exclaimed.

"I'm used to working with different kinds of metals," Biggoron said. "In fact, after examining this metal, I may be able to improve it by combining it with different metal alloys."

"Cool!" Kai exclaimed. "Thanks!"

"How long will it take?" Hazel asked.

"About a month and a half," Biggoron answered.

"Perfect!" Serena exclaimed. "That's about when your duel is, Kai!"

"So what do we do for a month and a half?" Zero asked.

Kai looked towards Metaknight.

"Hey, Metaknight…" Kai began.

"You wish to learn the **Gigaslash**, right?" Metaknight asked.

"Giga-what?" Hazel asked.

"It was this awesome sword thing that Metaknight did to take down the Goron," Kai answered. "It was way stronger than my **Shining Overdrive**!"

"There's a reason behind that," Metaknight said. "Let me explain where power like that originates.

"Great power that comes from many sword techniques rely, not only on the swordsman's power, but also on an external source. Your **Shining Overdrive** gets its power from the Goddess."

"Where does your move come from?" Toad asked.

"My move, the **Gigaslash**, gains its power from the three spirits of Hyrule: Din, Nayru, and Farore," Metaknight said. "Understanding this move requires knowledge of the ancient legend of how the world was formed:

"_Thousands of years ago, before the Goddess or the Lord of Darkness, there was only one being. He was the almighty god. He created the world and the universe around it. When he was done, he created three Goddesses to create the world. The first one was Din, who cultivated the land and created the red earth. The second was Farore, who used her power to create the mighty trees and many plants. The third was Nayru, who gave the world the gift of water. When the three Goddesses were done, they hid their power in the Sacred Realm, the door to which was hidden in Hyrule_."

"Is that power the Triforce?" Toad asked.

"Correct," Metaknight answered. "_Din is the Goddess of Power, Farore is the Goddess of Courage, and Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom_."

"Is that why the incantation mentions Power, Wisdom, and Courage?" Kai asked.

"Exactly," Metaknight answered. "_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage, Courage that shines brighter than the Sun_. That specifically mentions Din, Farore, and Nayru."

"I see," Kai said.

"So now that you have some knowledge about them, you can start training to learn the **Gigaslash**," Metaknight said. "We will start tomorrow at dawn. Be ready."

So that night, they rested in the Goron City. As the sun rose the following morning, Metaknight led Kai to a secret training spot on the mountain. Of course, Hazel, Toad, Zero, and Serena followed them. The training spot was a deep crater that had formed in the mountain. Kai's friends sat at the top of the crater while Kai and Metaknight stood in the center.

"Here's where phase one of your training begins," Metaknight said. "I warn you, this training will be difficult. Are you sure you wish to go through with it?"

"I'm absolutely sure," Kai answered.

"Good," Metaknight said. "For the first phase of your training, you will be catching boulders with only your bare hands and throwing them to the side."

Kai's eyes were wide with surprise.

"What did he say?!" Hazel asked.

"I think I heard something like he wants to crush Kai with rocks!" Toad answered.

"Is he nuts?!" Hazel exclaimed.

Metaknight flew to the top of the crater while Kai remained in the center.

"Alright, get moving!" Metaknight shouted.

Suddenly, five Gorons began to carry boulders to the crater. They brought them to the edge and set them down.

"On my signal, I need you to roll these rocks toward Kai," Metaknight said.

"Why are we crushing brother Kai?" one Goron asked.

"This is part of his training," Metaknight answered. "If Kai is to get stronger, I'll need your full cooperation. Now move!"

Metaknight held his sword into the air. One Goron rolled a boulder right to the edge. Metaknight then dropped his hand down. The Goron knew what this meant and pushed the boulder down the crater. Kai got into a fighting stance and prepared for impact. The boulder rolled faster and faster. As soon as it hit Kai, Kai was blown backwards. The boulder smashed into pieces as it finished rolling. Kai painfully stood up.

"Let's do this again, Kai," Metaknight said.

Kai nodded his head. Metaknight then signaled the second Goron to launch another boulder. Once again, Kai was blown backwards. He then got up and prepared for another boulder.

"This is torture!" Serena exclaimed.

"Why is he doing this?" Toad asked.

"Because pushing one to the very edge of mortality is how one becomes a powerful warrior," Zero answered. "By recovering after reaching the brink of death, a warrior can become stronger."

"Whatever that means, I still think it's torture," Toad said.

The next few weeks continued in the same way. After the first week, Metaknight ordered the Gorons to roll larger boulders. For half a month, Kai faced this torture. And for half a month, Hazel stayed at the crater longer than anyone else. She wanted to make sure Kai would be alright.

"Tonight's training is over," Metaknight said. "I will see you at the break of dawn."

Metaknight left the area. Kai, who was too tired to continue moving, fell onto his stomach. Hazel slid into the crater and stopped right next to Kai. She began to cast a **Cure** spell in order to heal him.

"You really are reckless," Hazel said.

"I'm…fine…" Kai panted.

"Just why are you torturing yourself?" Hazel asked.

"I'm not…going to lose…again," Kai answered.

Hazel knew just what he was referring to.

"You won't beat Tsubasa if you're dead," Hazel said. "Maybe this training's just too tough, even for you."

"I'll be fine," Kai said sleepily.

Hazel finished healing Kai. They both looked up toward the stars. The sky was crystal clear, and the stars were shining brightly.

"It sure is beautiful tonight," Hazel commented. "What do you think, Kai?"

There was no answer.

"Kai?" Hazel asked.

She looked toward Kai. He was fast asleep.

"Have a good rest, Kai," Hazel thought. "You deserve it."

Soon, Hazel fell asleep right next to Kai, after she set up a Holy Barrier to protect them from monsters. About two hours before sunrise, Mammoth and Mel were climbing Death Mountain. They were carrying many slips of paper in their hands.

"Why are we covering Death Mountain with these pieces of paper?" Mel asked.

"These aren't ordinary pieces of paper, Mel," Mammoth said. "These are Paper-Bombs. I bought them at that ninja shop."

"What do they do?" Mel asked.

"After a certain amount of time, they'll explode," Mammoth said. "The explosions will create rockslides that will crush Kai Kamai and his little girlfriend as they sit in that crater. Kai will be dead, we won't have to pay Tsubasa, and I will be the top crime-leader once again!"

"Just when will they explode?" Mel asked.

"They'll explode a few minutes before sunrise," Mammoth answered. "That will give us plenty of time to get down the mountain. Now put that paper down there."

Mammoth and Mel soon finished placing the Paper-Bombs down. They immediately rushed down the mountain and prepared for sunrise.

The following morning, before sunrise, Toad decided to go out for a morning jog.

"This is relaxing!" Toad exclaimed happily. "The morning air is brisk!"

Toad then smelt something burning. He looked toward where the smell came from and saw a piece of paper with an orange flame on it.

"What's that?" Toad thought.

Toad walked up to it. He saw that it was a Paper-Bomb. The fire indicated that the bomb was about to explode.

"A PAPER-BOMB!!!" Toad shouted.

He then immediately cast a **Blizzard** spell in order to put the flame out. After that, he noticed that more burning smells were surrounding the mountain. Dozens of Paper-Bombs were surrounding the mountain.

"Holy Mushroom!" Toad shouted. "There's no way I can put all of these out! I've got to get help!"

Toad rushed back toward town. He rushed into the inn and entered the room where he, Kai, and Zero had been staying.

"WAKE UP!!!" Toad shouted.

Zero fell out of his bed.

"What's going on?" Zero asked.

"Paper-Bombs!" Toad shouted. "They're all over the mountain! We have to…where's Kai?!"

"He never came back in," Zero answered. "Come to think of it, neither did Hazel."

"THEY'RE STILL AT THE CRATER?!" Toad exclaimed. "NO! They'll get caught in the explosions!"

"Explosions?!" Zero shouted. "We have to hurry. You wake Serena up! I'll get Metaknight!"

Toad and Zero then split up and got Serena and Metaknight. They all then rushed out of town. In the distance, they saw a small flame that was about to burn out.

"We're too late!" Serena shouted.

She was right. The Paper-Bomb immediately exploded. This caused a chain-reaction, which caused the other Paper-Bombs to explode. These explosions created many rockslides that slid straight toward the crater.

"Damn!" Zero shouted. "We have to wake Kai and Hazel up!"

They all ran straight for the crater. Meanwhile, Kai and Hazel were fast asleep. Kai felt a rumbling and got up. He looked outside the crater, and his face showed fear and shock. A large wave of rocks was rushing toward him.

"Hazel!" Kai shouted.

Kai ran down and shook Hazel.

"Wake up!" Kai shouted. "Wake up!"

Hazel didn't wake up.

"And she tells me that I'm a deep-sleeper," Kai complained. "I can't just leave her here, and I can't escape fast enough while carrying her! What should I do?"

Kai then knew what he had to do. He jumped out of the crater and stood in-between the wave of boulders and Hazel.

"I can't lose here," Kai thought. "Hazel's life is at stake!"

Kai entered the first avian stage. He then braced for impact.

Zero and the rest of the group reached the crater, but they were too late. The wave of boulders was merely seconds from crushing Kai.

"Kai!" Toad shouted. "**Thundag**…"

"Hold it," Metaknight said. "This might be the training Kai needs."

"You're nuts!" Serena shouted. "Two lives are at stake!"

"Exactly," Metaknight said. "I've noticed that Kai's real power emerges when two conditions are fulfilled: when he is in physical danger and when the lives of others are at stake."

Kai's eyes began to glow brightly. Suddenly, his wings changed from grayish-white to pure white. His wings transformed into pure energy and shrank into his own body. His energy exploded just as the rocks were right in front of him. The explosion of energy completely lit up the sky. The bright light that rose from the explosion completely covered Death Mountain.

When the light faded, Toad was the first to open his eyes. He saw that a cloud of dust was falling from the sky. Kai and Hazel were both alright, even though Kai was on his knees.

"Whoa!" Toad exclaimed.

The others opened their eyes as well.

"What was that?!" Serena shouted.

"That was the result of Kai's training," Metaknight said.

"Explain," Zero said.

"I've been pushing Kai to the brink of his mortality," Metaknight said. "As you know, a warrior will become stronger if he reaches that point over and over. What you might not know is that the warrior's ability to contain magical power increases as well. Now, Kai can store magical energy into his body to rival that of a sage. This kind of power is needed in order to perform the **Gigaslash**.

"What you've just witnessed is the raw power of the **Gigaslash**. When he learns to concentrate it, his power will be destructive."

"Whoa!" Toad exclaimed.

The sun rose over the mountain as the cloud of dust began to fade away. A brand new day was beginning.


	9. Chapter 9: The Divine Blade

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 9: The Divine Blade**

That evening, everyone was discussing the incident that had happened earlier that day.

"That was a ton of power!" Toad exclaimed. "Where did it come from?"

"I'm not sure," Kai said. "I just needed it, and it was there."

"It's probably the effect of adrenaline," Zero said. "Whenever the human body is stressed, it's strength, speed, overall ability, and magical power is pushed to its maximum. With all of Kai's training, he's been forced to that point all of the time. So Kai can probably draw upon that power whenever it is needed."

"Correct," Metaknight said. "Kai's training has focused on increasing Kai's max magical power. Now our training on Death Mountain is done. We have to train elsewhere now."

Everyone was confused.

"Death Mountain isn't the only training place in Hyrule," Metaknight said. "Our next stop is the Lost Woods. Your next phase of training is there."

"Alright," Kai said. "I guess we'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Yes," Metaknight said. "You and I will. Unfortunately, your friends can't come with us."

"Why can't we?" Serena asked.

"Kai needs to learn to draw upon his raw power **without** your help," Metaknight said. "If he can do that, anything is within his grasp. So, starting tomorrow, you'll have to wait for us in Kakariko Village."

"Alright," Zero said. "I guess we understand."

"Just…come back in one piece, Kai," Hazel said.

"No problem," Kai said.

The following morning, the six of them headed to the base of Death Mountain, where they entered Kakariko Village. In the pub of Kakariko Village was Mammoth and Mel.

"That was the simplest job we've ever done," Mammoth said. "No one could've survived that…"

Mel was frozen in his spot. Mammoth looked toward him and saw pure fear on his face. Mammoth looked back ahead and saw what Mel was scared of. Kai and his friends were walking through town as if nothing had happened.

"Impossible!" Mammoth shouted. "Nobody could've made it through there!"

"Boss, maybe we should just get out of here before Kai figures out who created that rockslide," Mel suggested.

"Good idea," Mammoth said. "This kid's a freak!"

Mammoth and Mel then ran out of town. A few minutes later, Kai's group gathered at the entrance of town.

"This is where we separate," Metaknight said. "Kai and I will be back here a week before the duel begins. This will give you plenty of time to get back to Everwood."

"Alright," Toad said. "We'll see ya then."

"Good luck, Kai," Hazel said.

"Thanks," Kai replied.

Kai and Metaknight waved good-bye as they walked out of town. Soon, they were out of sight.

"If Kai's going to do some training, we have to as well," Zero said. "Serena, you and I should do some speed and strength training."

"Sure," Serena said. "We'll start in the morning."

"Toad and I could do some magic training," Hazel said.

"I guess," Toad said.

The following morning, Kai's friends began their training. Zero and Serena hopped from building to building, fighting without techniques or weapons. They only used Taijutsu.

Hazel and Toad trained their magical abilities. Toad focused on casting higher-level spells like **Firaga** and **Blizzaga**, while Hazel blocked them using her **Barrier**.

This training continued until the day arrived. It was exactly one week before Kai's duel would take place. Toad and Hazel rushed to the entrance of the town at sunrise.

"I wonder where Kai is," Toad said.

"He could be anywhere," a voice said from behind them.

Hazel and Toad turned around. Zero and Serena had somehow snuck behind them without a single sound being heard.

"How did you do that?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"We focused on speed and strength," Zero said. "But we also did a bit of training on stealth."

"Whoa," Toad said.

They stood there, watching for Kai and Metaknight to return. Suddenly, they heard something thundering behind them. They turned around and saw some Gorons running toward them.

"Biggoron is finished!" one of them shouted. "Brother Kai's sword is finished!"

"Yes!" Hazel happily exclaimed. "Kai will be so happy to hear the news!"

"What news?" a voice said from behind them.

They all turned back around. Standing before them were Metaknight and Kai. Kai looked as if he had battled hundreds of battles without rest. His clothes were torn and he was battered and bruised.

"Kai!" Toad exclaimed.

Hazel rushed toward Kai first. She began to cast a **Cura** spell on Kai. Her spell made Kai's wounds disappear.

"Thanks," Kai said. "I needed that."

"You look like you've been to hell and back," Toad said.

"You could say that," Kai laughed. "Anyway, what's the big news?"

"Your sword is finished, Brother Kai!" a Goron happily answered.

"Really?!" Kai happily asked as his face brightened. "Let's get moving! Next stop: Death Mountain!"

Kai then began to lead the group up Death Mountain. Zero was staring at Kai. Serena noticed this and looked toward Zero.

"What's up?" Serena asked.

"Kai's been training for a whole month," Zero said. "He's apparently been pushed to the brink of death hundreds of times. Yet, I can't sense his power. It's as if he hasn't trained at all."

"Since I can't sense energy, I can't really say anything," Serena said. "But I'll just believe you."

Soon, the group reached the top of Death Mountain. They made it to Biggoron, who held something covered by a blue towel in his hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to introduce the greatest sword I have ever forged," Biggoron said. "Here is the Divine Blade!"

Biggoron removed the cover. Kai's face glowed brighter than ever. A shining, silver blade that was slightly larger than his old sword was resting in Biggoron's hands. The blade's handle was blue and had a red gem encrusted in the center.

"COOL!" Kai exclaimed.

Biggoron handed the sword to Kai. Kai felt as if this new sword was an extension of his own body. He began to slice the air to practice with the sword. It was easy to swing, and Kai could feel its power.

"I used the metal you gave me, as well as certain rare ores found on Death Mountain, to forge a new steel," Biggoron said. "I'll call it 'Goron's Steel'. This sword is nearly indestructible. It is also much lighter than your old sword, despite it being larger. Entering any battle with this sword will almost guarantee victory."

"Awesome!" Kai exclaimed. "With this sword, combined with the **Gigaslash**, I'll definitely beat Tsubasa!"

"So you actually perfected it?" Toad asked.

"Not exactly," Metaknight said. "Not even I have perfected the **Gigaslash**. Kai must continue to learn on his own."

"Just how many times can you use the **Gigaslash** without getting tired?" Hazel asked.

"Well," Kai said. "With all of the magic training I've been doing, I can safely use the **Gigaslash** once and the **Draco Meteor** about two times."

"What do you mean by 'safely use'?" Toad asked.

"I mean that I can use it more, but there could be consequences," Kai said.

"Then you'll just have to stick to using the move only once," Serena said.

"I guess," Kai said.

The following morning, Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, Serena, and Metaknight gathered at the docks.

"This is where we must part," Metaknight said. "I wish you good luck in your duel."

"Thanks," Kai said.

So the S.S. Mushroom sailed away from Hyrule and back toward Everwood. Soon, they finally arrived at Everwood. They arrived on the day of Kai's duel with Tsubasa.

In the center of town, Tsubasa was waiting for them. He was leaning against a large rock in the town. He looked up and saw Kai and his friends.

"Welcome back, Kai," Tsubasa said. "And welcome back, my beauty."

"Shove it," Serena said. "This is between you and Kai. Don't get me involved."

"Right," Tsubasa said. "Now, Kai. I believe we have a duel. Do you have a new sword?"

Kai answered by drawing the Divine Blade. When it was drawn, Kai's magical energy began to surround him.

"So you are ready," Tsubasa said. "Good. Let's get this match started."

Tsubasa drew his sword as well. Everyone except the two swordsmen stepped out of the way. Kai and Tsubasa stood still and faced each other. Suddenly, a gust of wind shook a nearby tree. One leaf fell from the tree and descended toward the ground. When the leaf met the earth, the battle began.

Kai and Tsubasa charged forward and began to slash at each other. The sound of clashing metal echoed through the town many times as the duel went on. Kai and Tsubasa didn't let up. They kept slashing at each other. Soon, Tsubasa jumped back and formed a sphere of energy into his hand.

"**Dragon Pulse**!" Tsubasa shouted as he launched the ball of energy toward Kai.

Kai saw this coming and began to focus energy. Suddenly, a strange gust of wind surrounded Kai, and he disappeared.

"What?!" Tsubasa exclaimed.

"**Farore's Wind**!" Kai shouted seemingly from nowhere.

Another gust of wind blew behind Tsubasa. Kai reappeared within this gust of wind. Kai then slashed Tsubasa in the back, sending him flying into a building. Tsubasa quickly got up.

"You've learned some new tricks," Tsubasa said.

Kai held out his right hand.

"**Din's Fire**!" Kai shouted.

A huge wave of fire shot straight from Kai's right palm and surrounded Tsubasa. Tsubasa jumped out of the way. When the fire faded, everything that it had surrounded had charred.

"Where did he learn how to do that?!" Tsubasa thought.

"That's amazing!" Toad exclaimed from the sidelines. "What are those moves?"

"Those are spells of the three Goddesses of Hyrule," Hazel said. "There are a total of three. They are all powerful, but they take too much energy to use repetitively."

"She's right," Zero said. "With each spell, Kai's energy dropped a good amount. I bet he was hoping that his flames would deal some heavy damage to Tsubasa."

"Just how much energy are we talking about here?" Toad asked.

"As far as I can tell, about as much as one of your **Firaga** or **Blizzaga** spells for each one," Zero said.

"Those must be some powerful spells," Toad said.

The duel continued while they spoke. Tsubasa charged forward and used **Dragon Claw**.

"**Nayru's Love**!" Kai thought.

A diamond-shaped barrier surrounded Kai as Tsubasa's attack hit. Kai managed to deflect the attack. Kai then countered with his sword, sending Tsubasa flying once again. Tsubasa crashed into a building, and Kai landed on his feet. He was sweating and panting like crazy.

"I don't think…I have enough energy…for another one of those spells," Kai thought. "I hope that finished him."

Suddenly, Tsubasa staggered out of the rubble. He was barely standing and was covered in sweat.

"DAMN!" Kai thought.

"I…will…not…lose…here!" Tsubasa shouted. "I…can't!"

Tsubasa transformed into his Hybrid form. Kai responded by transforming into the first Avian stage. This boost of energy wasn't enough to use more of the Goddess Spells without severely losing energy.

Tsubasa charged forward. Instead of slashing at Kai with his sword, Tsubasa jabbed Kai in the stomach with his claw. Kai just took the hit. He then countered with his sword.

"How did Kai do that?" Hazel asked.

"It was all of Kai's training," Zero answered.

Everyone else looked at Zero confusingly.

"Do you remember what Kai's first training was?" Zero asked.

"The boulders?" Toad answered.

They thought about this for a minute. Serena finally realized it.

"He was being hit by boulders repetitively!" Serena exclaimed.

"Correct," Zero said. "That was not only training for strength, it was training for endurance. As Kai took each hit, his ability to take hits increased. Now he probably has a body as tough as steel."

Kai and Tsubasa continued their duel. Kai and Tsubasa flew through the air now that they had wings. They used different spells and techniques like the **Dragon Pulse** to fight each other. Their power was now equal. Kai soon found an opening and forced Tsubasa into the ground with his sword. The impact created a huge crater in the ground.

Covered in bruises and wounds, Tsubasa stared at the winged swordsman floating above him.

"I can't lose," Tsubasa thought.

Several images appeared in his head. One was of a young, blonde girl. The next was the same girl, only she was about one year younger than Tsubasa was now. The third was about the same woman lying in her deathbed. The final was of a grave, where only Tsubasa was standing.

"Not…yet!" Tsubasa thought.

Tsubasa's eyes began to glow bright red. Suddenly, his sword merged with his own body. His whole body began to transform. His right hand transformed into a dragon claw. His legs had become dragon legs. A long tail grew from his backside. Finally, he grew larger and grew scales. He transformed into a large, black dragon with red eyes.

"WHOA!!!" Kai exclaimed.

Tsubasa saw Kai and glared at him. He then opened his mouth and released a stream of fire. Kai dodged the flames and began to fly around town. Tsubasa chased him through the city, burning down anything that stood in his path.

"This isn't good!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Tsubasa's reached the Dragon Stage!" Toad shouted.

"Not only that, he can't control it," Zero said. "Right now, he's in an uncontrollable rage, and he won't stop until Kai's obliderated."

"We've got to help him!" Hazel shouted.

Zero, Hazel, Toad, and Serena rushed toward Tsubasa and Kai, hoping that they wouldn't be too late.


	10. Chapter 10: A Dragon's Tale

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 10: A Dragon's Tale**

Tsubasa continued to blast Kai with a barrage of attacks. Kai flew out of the way of the attacks, but he couldn't find time to counter.

"This sucks!" Kai thought. "He's not giving me an opening!"

Tsubasa then flew higher. Kai looked up towards him. When Tsubasa was lined up with the sun, his body began to glow brightly. This bright light blinded Kai. Kai couldn't tell where he was flying. He could only keep moving forward. Soon, he crashed straight into a building. Kai's eyesight soon began to return. He saw Tsubasa hovering above him. Tsubasa began to breathe fire.

Kai braced for impact, but the flames were blocked by a barrier that appeared out of nowhere. Kai looked around. He saw that Hazel, Toad, Zero, and Serena had caught up with them. Toad launched a **Blizzaga** spell, which caught Tsubasa off guard.

Zero used this opportunity to bite his thumb and form some hand-signs.

"**Ninja-Art: Summoning Jutsu**!" Zero shouted as he slammed his fist into the ground.

In a huge cloud of smoke, a dragon with steel-scales appeared below Zero. Tsubasa saw the rival dragon and charged towards it. The steel dragon's scales were powerful enough to take any attack that Tsubasa gave him.

Hazel used this opportunity to get to Kai and begin to heal him.

"Are you alright?" Hazel asked Kai as she cast a **Curaga** spell.

"Sort of," Kai said. "You guys have to get out of here."

"Don't worry," Hazel said. "You build up your power while we distract him."

Suddenly, a roar of pain was heard. Zero's dragon's powerful defenses were finally penetrated. Tsubasa delivered the finishing blow, and Zero's dragon disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Zero landed on his feet.

"Damn," Zero growled. "This isn't working!"

Serena began to throw her needles at Tsubasa while Toad continued to launch his spells. None of these attacks seemed to affect Tsubasa, but they definitely annoyed him. Tsubasa turned to face Toad and Serena and flew straight toward them. He then knocked them toward Zero. They crashed into Zero, and the three of them hit a wall. Hazel began to charge her **Gyro Sphere**. Once it was fully charged, she flew toward Tsubasa. Her attack hit, and Tsubasa roared in pain.

But Tsubasa suddenly grabbed Hazel in his claws. He then began to squeeze the life out of her as she screeched in pain.

"HAZEL!" Kai shouted.

Kai glared angrily at Tsubasa. Suddenly, his whole body began to glow brightly. His wings began to change. They changed from grayish-white to pure white.

He then flew straight towards Tsubasa. With one swing of his sword, he sliced a huge wound into Tsubasa's stomach. Tsubasa roared in pain and let go of Hazel. Hazel began to fall toward the ground, but Kai caught her as she fell. He then gently set her next to Zero, Toad, and Serena.

"You guys have to get out of here," Kai said.

"We can't leave you!" Hazel shouted.

"We're staying!" Toad shouted.

Kai didn't say anything. He just turned around and pointed his right hand toward his friends.

"**Farore's Wind**," Kai said.

Suddenly, a gust of wind surrounded his friends.

"Kai!" Hazel shouted as they disappeared.

Kai had teleported them outside of town, where the rest of the townspeople had fled to.

"Where are…" Toad began.

"You four!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

They turned around and saw Gus.

"Where's Kai?" Gus asked.

"He's fighting that dragon," Hazel answered.

"Seriously?!" Gus exclaimed. "He's fighting that monstrosity?!"

"Yeah," Toad answered.

"Do you think he can win?" Gus asked.

"I'm not sure," Toad said. "Our best attacks didn't even faze him."

"Kai still has one move," Zero said. "Since we haven't seen it, however, we can't be sure if it'll work."

"Do you mean…" Toad began.

Meanwhile, Kai and Tsubasa faced each other.

"I guess it's time," Kai thought.

Kai held his sword into the air.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage, Courage that shines brighter than the sun_," Kai thought.

His sword transformed into pure, golden energy that looked much like lightning. Tsubasa saw this. He then roared. His whole body began to glow with a blue light.

"_I pray to thee and I swear to thee_," Kai thought. "_Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand_!"

The energy sword in Kai's hand glowed brighter and brighter. Tsubasa launched the **Dragon Soul** towards Kai.

"**GIGASLASH**!!!" Kai shouted.

He swung the blade as the **Dragon Soul** reached him. His magical sword came face-to-face with the power that Tsubasa was emitting. Large bolts of magical energy erupted from the point of contact.

Suddenly, an explosion of magical energy engulfed the entire town. The explosion created a light that filled the sky. The light blinded everyone. When the light faded, Hazel rubbed her eyes to see what had happened. She looked ahead. Above the town was a dark cloud that was sparking with blue lightning.

Everyone else gained back his or her sight at around the same time. They were all surprised by the sight they were seeing.

"What's that?" Toad asked.

"A cloud of magical discharge," Hazel answered.

"Magical what?" Serena asked.

"Magical discharge," Hazel answered. "It's the result of two extreme powers clashing together. I've only heard of something like this happening when the spells of sages clash."

"So where is Kai?" Zero asked.

"We have to find him!" Hazel shouted.

The four of them rushed into town. They looked throughout the town. Luckily, most of the buildings only had minor damage. As the four of them moved closer to where the attacks had clashed, more destruction could be seen. The town looked like it had just been hit by a hurricane.

"Whoa," Toad said.

"This is what happens when two almighty powers clash," Hazel said.

"LOOK!" Serena shouted.

They looked ahead. They saw two large craters in the center of town. The one to the right contained Tsubasa, who had returned to his human form. The other had Kai.

Toad slid down the crater until he was next to Kai. Hazel began to follow him.

"Kai, are you alright?" Toad asked.

"I wouldn't touch him if I were…" Hazel began.

Toad touched Kai to see if he was awake. When Toad touched him, he felt a huge surge of electricity shoot through him. The pain was completely unbearable. The force of this energy shot Toad right out of the crater.

"…you," Hazel finished.

Toad slid back down the crater. He had been charred by the energy.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Toad exclaimed.

"About 10,000 gigavolts of magical energy," Hazel answered. "That's enough power to fuel a whole city for a week."

"Ow," Toad said weakly.

Hazel held her hands over Kai.

"**Dispel**," Hazel said.

Her hands began to glow with yellow energy. The yellow energy made the magical discharge that surrounded Kai disappear.

"Now you can touch him," Hazel said.

Toad was apprehensive about touching Kai. He then realized something.

"Since Kai was zappy like that, would Tsubasa be the same way?" Toad asked.

"I guess," Hazel answered.

"Then shouldn't we tell Zero and Serena that…" Toad began.

Suddenly, an explosion and a screech of pain were heard from the other crater. Serena flew through the air and landed in their crater. She was charred by the energy. She stood up. Toad started laughing, and Hazel tried to hold back her laughter. Serena's hair was sticking straight up because of the electric shock.

Serena noticed that her hair was sticking up and she immediately tried to force it down.

"I'm…I'm going to go fix Tsubasa," Hazel laughed.

Hazel climbed out of the crater and headed toward the other crater.

The following morning, Kai woke up. He found himself in a hospital room. Hazel was asleep in a chair that was next to his bed.

"Hazel?" Kai asked.

Hazel opened her eyes.

"You're awake," Hazel said sleepily.

"Yeah," Kai said. "What happened?"

"You and Tsubasa created a storm of magical energy by clashing two…" Hazel started.

"I mean the fight," Kai interrupted. "Who won."

"You did," another voice said from the other side.

Kai looked that way and saw that Tsubasa was lying in a second bed next to his own.

"I lost control," Tsubasa said. "You somehow defeated me and changed me back. That's impressive."

"How did you lose control so quickly?" Hazel asked.

"I…was thinking about something else," Tsubasa answered.

"About what?" Kai asked.

"Well…I guess it all started ten years ago," Tsubasa said.

A flashback began. The first thing that was shown was Tsubasa as a little kid walking through a snow-covered field.

"I was orphaned before I knew what that word meant," Tsubasa narrated. "I had no family. I only wandered from place to place, looking for food and shelter. Soon, I collapsed in the snow."

The little Tsubasa fell to his knees. His eyes closed, and his fell into the snow. He had passed out. Suddenly, someone's shadow appeared above him.

"The next thing I knew, I was in a warm cottage."

Little Tsubasa woke up in a bed in a log cabin. It was surprisingly warm. He hopped out of bed and began to walk through the house.

"You're awake," someone's voice said.

Tsubasa looked for whom the voice belonged to. He saw an old woman in a rocking chair, knitting something.

"My granddaughter and I found you in the snow," the old woman said.

A little, blonde girl about Tsubasa's age ran up to him. She had blue eyes and wore a light-blue dress.

"My name's Hikari," the girl said. "What's your name?"

"Tsubasa," little Tsubasa answered.

"Tsubasa?" Hikari asked. "That's a funny name!"

"Don't laugh!" Tsubasa shouted.

"My name is Susan," the old woman said. "Now that we've been introduced, how about we find your family."

"I…I don't have a family," Tsubasa said sadly.

Susan thought about this for a second.

"Then…you can call me 'Grandma Susan'," Susan said. "And you can consider this place your home from now on."

A smile grew on Tsubasa's face.

"Come on!" Hikari exclaimed. "Let's play!"

Hikari and Tsubasa happily ran into another room. The flashback ended.

"That was so happy," Hazel said.

"Let me guess: something bad happened," Kai said.

Tsubasa gloomily looked down. He then sighed and continued.

"The years passed by," Tsubasa said. "I spent all of my happy years living with Grandma Susan and Hikari."

Another flashback appeared. It showed Tsubasa about two years ago. He was picking vegetables from a garden with Hikari, who had grown up as well. Her hair was much like Serena's. She wore a long, blue dress.

The garden they were at was on a large hill behind the cabin.

"Grandma's soup is going to be good tonight," Hikari said.

"Yeah," Tsubasa said.

"So how's your swordsmanship training going?" Hikari asked.

"Great!" Tsubasa excitedly answered. "I think that I can become an expert with only about a year's worth of training."

"Let's head back in," Hikari said. "Grandma's waiting for us."

Hikari and Tsubasa started to walk back to the cabin. While they were walking, they saw a strange light. The light was orange and red like a fire.

"What's going on?" Hikari asked.

Tsubasa and Hikari rushed down the mountain. At the bottom, they saw something that struck them with fear. The cabin had been lit on fire.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Tsubasa shouted.

"Grandma!" Hikari cried.

She rushed toward the house.

"Hikari!" Tsubasa shouted. "Wait for me!"

Tsubasa rushed ahead of Hikari and used his sword to open a hole in the cabin. Inside, Grandma Susan was lying on the ground. She was not moving.

"Grandma!" Hikari cried.

She ran up to her grandmother and began to shake her.

"Wake up!" Hikari cried louder. "Wake up, please!"

"It's no use," another voice in the building said.

Tsubasa and Hikari looked for the source of the voice. They saw a man wearing a dark cloak. He had long, silver hair and blood-red eyes.

"She wouldn't hand over what I wanted, so I had to force it from her," the man said. "I was impressed that a woman as old as her put up such a fight. But in the end, she just couldn't win."

"YOU MONSTER!" Tsubasa shouted angrily as he rushed toward the man.

He swung his sword, but the man merely dodged it. The man then held out his right hand. A strange seal rose from it and surrounded Tsubasa. Suddenly, Tsubasa felt a great pain and couldn't move.

"What did you do?!" Hikari shouted.

"Dragovian Seal," the man answered. "Anyone who is a Dragovian has this weakness, even if their Dragovian blood is very thin."

"Dragovian?" Hikari asked.

"You won't have to worry about that where you're going, my dear," the man said. "You and that swordsman will join your grandmother when this fire consumes you."

The man then laughed evilly and disappeared.

"No!" Hikari cried.

Suddenly, a piece of fiery debris fell next to her. She instantly jumped for Tsubasa.

"Don't…worry…about…me," Tsubasa said weakly. "Get…out…of…here!"

"I don't want to lose you too, Tsubasa!" Hikari cried. "I'm getting you out of here!"

Hikari began to drag Tsubasa out of the building. The longer she was in there, the harder it became to breathe. Soon, she and Tsubasa made it out of the fire. The seal that surrounded Tsubasa suddenly wore off.

"I'm free," Tsubasa said.

Hikari began to cough. She then fell to her knees.

"Hikari!" Tsubasa shouted.

"I'm alright," Hikari said weakly. "I just breathed in a little too much smoke."

Hikari then passed out. Tsubasa picked her up and searched for a hospital. The flashback changed once again. Now, Tsubasa and Hikari were in a hospital room. The doctors were examining the sleeping Hikari.

"Is she alright?" Tsubasa asked.

One of the doctors turned to face him.

"We're not sure," the doctor said. "By what you've told me, I think that she sucked in too much smoke. Her lungs are seriously damaged. I'm afraid that there is little we can do at this point."

Tsubasa's face showed fear.

"It…it can't be," Tsubasa said.

"She'll have to stay in the hospital," the doctor said. "We'll try our best to save her. It'd be probably best for you to leave for now and come back in the morning."

Even though Tsubasa left the room, he spent the night just outside of the hospital. The following morning, he ran inside. Hikari was awake.

"Hello, Tsubasa," Hikari said weakly. "I'm glad (she coughed) you're alright."

She coughed some more.

"Don't talk!" Tsubasa said. "You need your rest!"

"I'll be fine," Hikari said. "I just wish that Grandma…"

Hikari was now silent. A sad look was on her face. A single tear began to form in her right eye. Tsubasa wiped the tear off.

"Don't worry," Tsubasa said. "I'll find that man. I'll train harder and finally beat him! It doesn't matter if he uses that seal thing on me, I'll still beat him!"

"You can't!" Hikari cried.

She then coughed some more.

"I can't afford to lose you too," Hikari said. "Please!"

"You don't need to worry about me," Tsubasa said. "I'll train harder and harder until I'm the strongest swordsman in existence. Not even that creepy guy can beat me!"

Hikari managed to smile. She then fell back asleep. Then, the flashback ended.

"…Hikari died a week later," Tsubasa said. "It was about that time that I found out that I was descended from the ancient race of the Dragovians. It was amazing that I had found out something about my family that I had never known. But…

"I…haven't been able to forgive myself ever since. If she didn't try to save me, she'd still be…"

"It's not your fault!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's that guy's fault!" Kai shouted.

"Thanks," Tsubasa said. "I soon found out what that man took from Grandma Susan. This might interest you. It happened to be a shard of the Divine Medallion."

"WHAT?!" Hazel and Kai exclaimed together.

"Yeah," Tsubasa said. "I heard that you five were looking for those. Watch out for that man. He's evil and powerful."

"So were the Lord of Darkness and Ganondorf," Kai said. "Face the facts, I haven't lost to any evil guy yet."

Kai tried getting out of bed. Suddenly, a jolt of pain shot through his body and he fell back down.

"You look very impressive when you can't even sit up," Hazel said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Kai said.

Hazel and Tsubasa began to laugh.

Tsubasa managed to stand up. He then limped toward the door.

"What are you doing?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"I can't just sit here," Tsubasa said. "Kai has inspired me. I have to leave. I have to train harder and beat that creepy magician."

Tsubasa reached the door and stopped.

"Oh, and before I forget," Tsubasa said. "Tell your friend Serena that I said hi. The way she looks kinda reminds me of Hikari."

Tsubasa then walked through the door.

"Should I go after him?" Hazel asked.

"He's a man on a mission," Kai said. "I say that we leave him alone."

Tsubasa was long gone. Hazel and Kai thought about what Tsubasa had said. They knew that they would have to fight this enemy eventually. The only question is…just how powerful is he?


	11. Chapter 11: Zero's Rival

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 11: Zero's Rival**

The following day, since Kai was feeling better, he and Hazel went outside of the hospital. Kai saw that the whole town was rebuilding what he and Tsubasa had destroyed. Zero, Serena, and Toad were helping as well. With everyone helping, they were almost done.

"Whoa," Kai said.

Zero, Serena, and Toad saw that Kai was finally out of the hospital. They ran up to Kai and Hazel.

"It's a good thing you're finally out," Serena said. "We've got a new mission."

"That fast?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Even if the main building was halfway demolished, the guild is still running," Toad said. "We got a new mission while you were in the hospital. We told the client that we'd meet them as soon as you were well."

"What's the mission?" Kai asked.

"We don't know yet," Zero answered. "Our client said that he'd tell us when we met him."

"We're meeting him just outside of town," Serena said. "Let's hurry."

The five of them then headed towards the entrance of town. Just outside of town, they met with a young man with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a brown cloak and brown boots. He was about Kai's age.

"I'm glad you could make it," the man said. "My name's Hal."

"Hey," Kai said. "What's the mission?"

"Here's the story," Hal said. "Years ago, before I was born, my father was a treasure hunter. He was an expert at his profession. In fact, he is said to have found more treasure than anyone else in the world. This, of course, led to people wanted to steal his gains. So he hid the treasure in a deep cavern in a mountain.

"My sister, Holly, and I found the cavern. I suggested that we should get proper equipment before we went in, but she thought that we should get the treasure as soon as possible. So she went in ahead of me. She's been in there for two weeks. I'm afraid that something has happened to her.

"That's where you come in. I'm hiring you to find my sister. I'll pay you anything that you request."

"We'll take a share of that treasure if we find it," Serena said greedily.

"Anything!" Hal exclaimed. "Anything you want! It's yours!"

"SWEET!" Serena happily shouted. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

So Hal told Kai's group about where the cavern was located. Meanwhile, Mel and Mammoth were listening to them.

"Are you sure we should be spying on them?" Mel asked. "What if they find out? Kai beat that assassin we hired."

"Shut up," Mammoth said. "We just have to get that treasure while they are distracted with little miss lost."

"What if they find the treasure **before** they find the girl?" Mel asked.

"We just have to get to the mountain first," Mammoth said. "Now that we know where it is, we can hurry there while they're getting supplies."

"What about our supplies?" Mel asked.

"Already prepared," Mammoth said. "Now, let's hurry and get that treasure!"

Mammoth and Mel rushed to the location of the mountain. Sure enough, Kai and his friends first got their supplies. They then started their journey to the mountain.

They finally reached their location, Mt. Diablo. There were many caves all along the mountainside.

"How the hell are we supposed to find **one** treasure in a dozen caves?!" Serena shouted.

"Don't you mean one **girl**?" Toad asked.

"That too," Serena said.

"We'll just have to go in them one at a time until we find her," Kai said.

"You'll get lost doing that," a voice said from behind them.

They turned around. Behind them was a girl with short, black hair. She wore a blue shirt, a blue skirt, black stockings, and blue shoes. On her waist was a weapon-pouch. Her eyes were green. On her right arm was a ninja-headband.

"Hey," the girl said.

"Who are you?" Kai asked.

"The name's Erika," the girl answered. "I'm just your wandering kunoichi."

"A what?" Kai asked.

"Do I have to explain again?" Hazel asked. "A kunoichi is a female ninja."

"I get it," Kai said.

"What do you mean 'we'll get lost doing that'?" Toad asked.

"Each of those caverns are extremely deep and filled with labyrinths," Erika explained. "Unless you know where you're going, you'll be lost forever."

"That's probably what happened to our client's sister," Zero said.

"I just happen to know which cave she went in," Erika said.

"Which one?!" Toad demanded.

"You couldn't get in, even if you wanted to," Erika said. "Follow me."

Erika led the group up the mountain. They stopped in front of a cave blocked off by a large pile of rocks.

"There was a rockslide recently," Erika said. "You won't be getting in there anytime soon."

"Now what?" Kai asked.

"I happen to know of four other openings that lead to the same place," Erika said.

She then pulled out two maps. She handed one to Kai. Kai looked at it. It showed a map of the outside of the mountain and all of the caves.

"Whoa," Kai said.

"Here, here, here, and here," Erika said as she pointed out four caves. "Those are the four caves that lead to the same place as this one. They also happen to lead to a treasure, according to my information."

"You seem to know a lot," Kai said.

"Anyway, how about a competition," Erika said. "I've heard about you five, and I wanted to play a little game. The first one to get to the girl and save her gets the reward that your client was going to give you."

"That's not fair!" Serena shouted. "We'll either lose something or gain only what we were promised at the beginning!"

"Fine," Erika said. "I'll also give you some useful information if you win. Do we have a deal?"

She held out her hand in front of Kai.

"Deal," Kai said after thinking for a moment.

He and Erika shook hands.

"I assure you that all of those caves definitely lead to your girl," Erika said. "But I don't know which one is shortest or least dangerous. That's the fun part. Pick your cave. I'll pick from the remaining."

Kai then picked one of the caves. Erika picked another.

"I'll meet you at the center," Erika said. "Good luck."

Erika then pulled out a smoke bomb. She threw it onto the ground, and covered the air with smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.

"SHE GOT A HEADSTART!!!" Serena shouted. "We have to win!"

Serena then rushed to the cave that Kai picked. The rest of the group followed her. They soon found themselves deep within the cave they picked. They walked through the cave for several hours.

"I think we picked a long one," Toad complained.

"No worries," Kai said. "As long as we keep moving, we'll get there eventu…"

They suddenly reached a five-way fork in the path.

"What?!" Hazel exclaimed.

Zero picked up five stones. He threw one down each path and listened for the echoes. When he was finished examining, he turned to face his friends.

"They are all around the same length, as far as I can tell," Zero said.

"What should we do?" Hazel asked.

Toad then dug into his pockets and pulled out five, black disks with red buttons on them.

"They're signals," Toad said. "If you find the treasure or Holly, just press the button."

"Ok," Kai said.

Toad then distributed the disks. After taking one each, the five of them picked a path to walk into. They then followed their particular path.

Zero continued deeper and deeper down his path until he found a door.

"This might be it," Zero said.

Zero opened the door and stepped through. He found himself in a large, nearly empty room. There were skeletons all over the place. Each of the skeletons held a weapon and/or wore armor.

"What the…" Zero began.

"This particular room was once an arena for warriors," a familiar voice said.

Zero looked in the direction where the voice came from. Erika was standing on a barrel.

"Swordsmen, mages, shinobi, and others battled here for different reasons," Erika continued. "It's kinda funny, isn't it. Some of these people fought just because they were bored."

"Alright, is this going anywhere?" Zero asked.

"Yes," Erika said as she pulled out a kunai knife.

She then threw it towards Zero. Zero just jumped back to dodge. He then saw that there was a paper-bomb tied around the grip.

"A bomb!" Zero exclaimed.

The bomb exploded in front of Zero. Zero was blown back towards a wall.

"Damn it," Zero thought.

Erika then ran right past him. Zero felt that she had taken something. Zero looked for what she took. Erika then revealed what she had stolen. It was the signal that Toad had given him.

"I can't let you call your friends," Erika said. "I was hoping for a one-on-one duel between shinobi."

Erika then smashed the device that she had stolen. Zero merely smiled.

"Did you really think I was going to call them?" Zero laughed. "I can take you on my own."

Zero had started forming hand-signs as he said this.

"**Fire-Style: FIREBALL JUTSU**!" Zero shouted as he brought his right hand up to his mouth.

He then breathed a fireball toward Erika. Erika jumped out of the way. She then threw three shuriken towards Zero. Zero pulled out a kunai knife and knocked the shuriken out of the air. He then caught them as they fell and threw them back.

Erika formed some hand-signs as the shuriken shot towards her. The shuriken hit her as she finished. Suddenly, in a cloud of smoke, she was replaced by a log.

"A substitution!" Zero thought.

Erika reappeared behind him. She began to form some hand-signs.

"**Slime Jutsu**!" Erika shouted.

Suddenly, she spat out green slime that stuck to Zero's feet. Zero struggled to get the stuff off, but he couldn't move.

"What the?!" Zero shouted. "What is this goop?!"

"You won't be getting out of that," Erika said. "That stuff's like instant glue, but it's nearly unbreakable. It'd take the force of a demon to break out of that stuff."

"She's right," Zero thought. "I could summon a dragon below me, but this room's too small for a dragon big enough to get me out."

"Now for the fun part," Erika said. "That stuff on your feet is extremely explosive. Just one spark, and that stuff will light up faster than a pine tree on Christmas."

"Shit!" Zero thought. "I have to get this stuff off as soon as possible! Zero, keep your cool. Remember that a shinobi must keep his head at all times. Clear your mind and find a way to escape."

"This is it!" Erika shouted.

She pulled out a matchbox and lit a match. She then tossed it towards Zero. Zero began to concentrate his energy. Suddenly, he released the chakra seal. The force of the chakra was powerful enough to blow the stuff away. The flame on the match was also blown out.

"What the?!" Erika exclaimed.

"I forgot to mention this," Zero said. "That was my **Chakra Release**. I store up a large amount of chakra into a single point on my body and release it whenever I need it. Now for some fun."

Zero bit his thumb and formed some hand-signs.

"**Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

He slammed his right hand onto the ground. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared where his fist hit the ground. When the smoke cleared, three small dragons were standing there. Each one was a different color: red, blue, and yellow.

"What do you need, boss?" the red dragon asked.

"It's time for a combination attack," Zero said.

"Yay!" the blue dragon happily exclaimed.

"So you can use the summoning jutsu as well," Erika said.

Erika then bit her own thumb. She then formed different hand-signs.

"**Summoning Jutsu**!" Erika shouted as she slammed her right hand onto the ground.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared where her hand hit the ground. When the smoke cleared, Zero and his dragons were surprised by what they saw. The creatures Erika had summoned were kinda…stupid looking.

Her creatures were three, blue slime drops with goofy smiles.

"Slime Shady, Smiles, Tori," Erika said.

"Hey there, ma'am," one of the slimes said.

"What the heck are those?" Zero asked.

"Slimes," Erika answered. "These three happen to be my favorites. So it's four-on-four now, isn't it."

"Not for long," Zero said. "Dragon, combination!"

"Yes sir!" the three dragons said.

The dragons surrounded Zero. Zero formed a hand-sign.

"**Combined Transformation**!" the four of them said together.

Suddenly, in a cloud of smoke, the four of them was replaced by about Zero's height.

"**Ultima Dragon**," the dragon said in Zero's voice.

"Whoa," Erika said sarcastically. "I'm sorry, but that's not very impressive. My slimes can do practically the same thing. Guys, time for slime combo!"

The three slimes then got close to each other. Suddenly, they formed together into a much larger slime with a crown on its head.

"**Ultrus, the Ultra Slime**!" the slime said in the voices of the three slimes from earlier.

"He's still as goofy-looking as before," Zero said.

"That doesn't mean he can't beat you," Erika said. "Ultrus, he's all yours."

Zero, the Ultima Dragon, and Ultrus stood face-to-face, prepared for the ultimate battle.


	12. Chapter 12: Spider's Lair

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 12: Spider's Lair**

Kai continued down his path, which seemed endless.

"Man," Kai groaned. "I wish I'd reach the end of this stupid path. This is boring. There's not a single person to fight in here. I wonder how the others are doing?"

Meanwhile, Zero, who was in dragon form, clashed against Ultrus. Zero charged forward. His claws began to spark with electricity. He then tried to slice Ultrus with the charge, but Ultrus jumped out of the way.

"**Slime Spank**!" Ultrus shouted as he charged forward.

He slammed himself against Zero, who was forced straight into a wall. Zero then breathed a stream of fire from his mouth. This move charged Ultrus and sent him backwards. Zero then took this opportunity to attack, but Erika appeared behind him and threw a kunai knife at him. Zero was hit by this move, and he and his dragons were separated.

"There are two of us, you know," Erika said.

"Sorry, boss," one of Zero's dragons said.

The three dragons disappeared. Zero then landed on his feet. Almost immediately, Ultrus landed right on top of Zero and crushed him. Zero managed to stand up. He then felt an extreme pain shoot through his body. He fell to one knee and coughed up blood.

"Damn!" Zero thought. "Not now!"

"It seems your little chakra boost has a side effect," Erika said. "Too bad for you. Now for the end!"

Zero quickly grabbed a smoke bomb from his weapons-pouch. He then threw it onto the ground and covered the entire room in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.

"He's good," Erika said. "He managed to hide himself somewhere. The question is…where?"

She then spotted that the door that she came in was open.

"So he decided to go into my path," Erika said. "So the game of cat-and-mouse begins. Come on, Ultrus."

Erika and Ultrus then ran through this door. When they were gone, a barrel in the room began to shake. Zero then climbed out.

"I thought she'd never leave," Zero said. "Damn it. I'm in pain."

Zero then dug into his pockets and found a blue food pill. He then remembered what Hazel had told him:

"That Chakra boost of yours seriously damages your body. If you have to use it, just take one of these. It'll help heal your body and restore a bit of energy, but it takes half-an-hour for it to take full-effect. So don't try to use it when in the middle of a battle."

Zero then ate the food pill.

"So now I wait," Zero thought. "I've got to make sure that Erika doesn't find me until I'm fully healed. I'd better head back to that fork in the path. I can take another path and get some help."

Zero then leaned against a wall as he made his way back to the door he came through earlier. His weight pushed in one of the bricks in the wall. Suddenly, a door appeared on the opposite wall.

"That'll help," Zero thought.

Zero then dug in his supplies until he realized something.

"That's right," Zero thought. "Erika destroyed my signal. I guess I'm on my own here."

Zero then staggered through this door. This door led to another path, but this path had torches along the walls that lit the way. Zero continued down this path for a while. After fifteen minutes, he gained enough strength to walk normally.

"I don't have my full strength, but at least I can move faster," Zero said to himself.

About a minute later, he reached another door. This one had a spider carved into it.

"Let's see what's in here," Zero said.

Zero then opened the door. When he opened the door, a golden light surrounded him. When he got used to the bright light, he saw that the door took him to a large room filled with gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, and other treasures.

"Whoa," Zero thought. "I bet Serena would go nuts in here."

"It looks like you found the treasure," a familiar voice said from behind him.

Zero turned around and saw Erika. Her slime had apparently gone away.

"I have to say that you are really something," Erika said. "You managed to trick me into chasing you down a path when you didn't really go down it. You even found the hidden treasure room. I'm quite impressed."

Zero got into a fighting stance and drew his katana.

"Don't bother," Erika said. "I know you don't have the chakra to pull out any jutsu. That's why you're resorting to that sword. Don't worry; I'm not going to fight you."

Zero then withdrew his katana.

"Now that you found the treasure, maybe we should concentrate on finding the missing girl," Erika said. "Where could she be?"

"If I'm right, she probably discovered this room before us," Zero said.

"What makes you say that?" Erika asked.

"When I came here, the door wasn't locked at all," Zero said. "If I hid treasure in a room like this, even if it was hidden in a mountain, I would've locked it."

"Then if she found the treasure, where is she?" Erika asked.

Suddenly, some white, sticky stuff fell onto Erika's shoulder.

"I don't think that's slime," Zero said.

They looked up. Above then was a gigantic, black spider. It had four, white eyes where a spider's eyes would normally be and a large, orange eye on the top of its head.

"Great Goddess!" Erika exclaimed.

The spider fell down in front of them. It hungrily glared at them.

"I don't think it wants to play," Erika joked.

The spider then tried to swipe Zero and Erika with its legs. Zero and Erika jumped out of the way. Zero then threw a shuriken towards the spider. The weapon merely bounced off of it.

"What the?!" Zero exclaimed.

"It must have skin as hard as steel," Erika said. "I've heard of a few spiders like that."

The spider then crawled to the roof of the room. It then shot an orange laser beam from its giant eye. Zero and Erika, though they were surprised by this, managed to dodge the attack.

"It can shoot lasers?!" Erika exclaimed.

"At this point, anything is possible," Zero commented as he threw a kunai knife at it.

The spider dodged the knife. It then spat out a few eggs. The eggs hatched into smaller, yet still giant, spiders.

"I guess we know it's a girl," Erika joked.

"This is no time for jokes!" Zero shouted angrily.

The baby spiders began to surround the two of them.

Meanwhile, Toad's path ended at a room. The room he entered was completely empty. There was another opening to his left. Serena walked through this door.

"What?!" Serena exclaimed.

"So I guess neither of us were right," Toad said.

"Damn!" Serena shouted. "I wanted to be the one to find the treas…I mean the girl."

"Nice save," Toad said sarcastically. "Anyway, let's head back and find the others."

Suddenly, they heard screaming above them. They looked up and saw Hazel and Kai fall on top of them.

"Well, our paths weren't right," Kai said when he saw that he and Hazel landed on Toad and Serena.

"Does that mean that Zero's path was right?" Toad asked.

"I hope," Hazel said.

"Then let's go!" Kai exclaimed. "We won't get anything done by just sitting here! Let's find Zero!"

They then left this room and headed back to where they had separated earlier. Meanwhile, Zero and Erika were fighting off the spiders.

They knocked away the baby spiders one-by-one. As they did this, the mother spider would attempt to blast them with lasers, which were dodged. The mother spider also produced more baby spiders than Zero and Erika could destroy.

"This is getting annoying," Erika said.

She pulled a scroll from her pouch. She then bit her right thumb, opened the scroll, and spread her blood in a line across the scroll. She then refolded the scroll and slammed it onto the ground.

"**Ninja-Art: Summoning Jutsu**!" Erika shouted.

A large, ninja seal covered the entire floor. Suddenly, in a huge cloud of smoke, hundreds of slimes filled the room.

"What the?!" Zero exclaimed.

The slimes bounced everywhere and crushed all of the baby spiders. One slime accidentally bounced up and hit the mother spider in her orange eye. The mother spider yelled in pain and fell onto the ground. It immediately got back up and swiped away any slimes that surrounded it.

"That's it!" Zero exclaimed. "Its eye is its weakness!"

"Now that we know that, how do we hit it?" Erika asked. "It dodges anything we throw at it."

Zero looked around. He saw four statues placed on pedestals near the ceiling.

"Call off your slimes!" Zero shouted. "I have an idea!"

Erika then focused her chakra into the scroll. Suddenly, all of the remaining slimes disappeared. The mother spider began to crawl towards them.

"Now what?" Erika asked as Zero began to focus his chakra.

"Distract that spider," Zero said. "Try to hit its eye."

"Easier said than done," Erika said.

Erika then rushed forward. The spider tried to strike her with its front legs, but Erika dodged the spider's attack. Erika then jumped up and landed on top of the spider. The spider began to bounce around to knock Erika off.

"How long are you going to take?!" Erika shouted as she attempted to hang on.

"Just a bit longer," Zero said. "Try to stab its eye."

"Fine," Erika said.

She then used one hand to grab a kunai knife from her pouch. She then stabbed the spider's orange eye with the knife. The spider began to yell in pain as blood sprayed from where the knife stabbed it. It shook hard enough to knock Erika off of it.

"Now!" Zero thought.

He then began to form hand-signs. After forming a few hand-signs. He slammed his right hand onto the ground. Suddenly, four lines of chakra rose from his hand and attached themselves to the statues.

"**Earth-Style: Terra Manipulation**!" Zero shouted.

Suddenly, the statues began to shake. Zero raised his right hand, and the statues rose into the air.

"Get out of the way!" Zero shouted.

Erika didn't think twice before jumping out of the way.

He then made a throwing gesture towards the spider. Suddenly, the four statues shot towards the spider and crushed it. Only one of its legs was visible. The leg twitched a few times, but it then went limp.

Zero released his jutsu. He then fell to his knees and held his stomach with one hand. Erika examined Zero and saw that his stomach was bleeding.

"It must've been when we were fighting those baby spiders," Zero said.

Erika found a small wound on her arm, swiped a bit of blood with her right hand, and began to form hand-signs. She then slammed her right hand onto the ground. A seal appeared where she slammed her hand, and, in a cloud of smoke, a pink jellyfish-like thing with the same goofy smile as her slimes appeared.

"Curer, I need you to heal this guy," Erika said.

"Yes, ma'am," the jellyfish thing answered.

Curer then waved one of its tentacles in front of Zero's stomach. Suddenly, a green light appeared over his wound, and it stopped bleeding.

"It'll still be sore, but at least we stopped the bleeding," Erika said.

Erika then helped Zero stand up.

"We're coming to help you!" a voice echoed from the path.

Zero and Erika watched as Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Serena rushed into the room.

"Too late," Zero said. "The fight's over."

"What?!" Kai groaned. "I missed the whole…"

"LOOK AT ALL OF THE TREASURE!!!" Serena exclaimed as she stared at all of the treasure.

"We're not looking for treasure, Serena," Hazel said. "We have to first find Holly."

"Found her," Toad said as he looked up.

Everyone looked up and saw someone wrapped in webbing. Only the person's eyes and part of her hair was visible. After a few minutes, they got the person down. It was a girl with long, blue hair, a green dress, and green boots. She also wore a yellow backpack. She, of course, was Holly.

"Thanks for helping me out," Holly said. "If you hadn't shown up, I would've been spider food."

"No problem," Zero said.

"I was captured about two hours before you showed up," she said to Zero and Erika.

"That would explain the unlocked door," Erika said.

"Anyway, I probably need to get home," Erika said. "Can you all help me with the treasure. It's too damn heavy for me alone."

"No problem," Serena said. "But it'll cost your brother more."

"Thanks," Holly said. "Let's go."

They all began to carry treasure out of the cavern. After a few days, they made it back to Everwood, where Hal was waiting for them.

"Thanks for your help," Hal said. "I warned you, Holly."

"I'll try to listen to you a bit more from now on, brother," Holly said. "You own these fine warriors some money."

"Yes," Hal said. "Here's your reward."

Hal handed Serena a large bag of treasure.

"Hurray!" Serena exclaimed happily.

"Is there a shard of a medallion among the treasure?" Toad asked.

"Shard?" Holly asked. "Do you mean something like this?"

Holly dug into her pockets and pulled out…

"That's it!" Toad exclaimed. "That's a divine shard!"

"Anything for you," Holly said.

"Thank you, adventurers," Hal said.

Hal and Holly left.

"This is where I leave as well," Erika said.

"Really?" Kai asked. "I was hoping you would join our group."

"I'm more of a solo act," Erika said. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"Wait!" Serena shouted. "You owe us information! That was part of the deal!"

"Sorry, I forgot," Erika said. "Alright, here you go:

"By what I've heard, those divine shards that you're after unlock an ancient secret. Apparently, this secret is extremely powerful and evil. I've also heard of some people who are followers of the King of Evil. They are also hunting down the divine shards, so you'll have your hands full."

"The magician that killed Tsubasa's family must be one of the King of Evil's followers," Kai said.

"That's all I know that you don't already," Erika said. "See ya later, ninja-boy."

She winked at Zero. She then threw a smoke bomb onto the ground and created a cloud of smoke. When the smoke faded, she was gone.

"Well, as far as we know, we've got three pieces, and the followers have one," Hazel said. "That leaves two remaining."

"Then we have to find them!" Kai exclaimed. "We can't let the King of Evil's followers win!"

The five of them headed back into town, where they could get another mission.


	13. Chapter 13: Veggie Farmer's Request

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 13: Veggie Farmer's Request**

Kai and his friends were enjoying dinner at the guild. That night's dinner included ham, potatoes, various vegetables, and biscuits. Kai, of course, was enjoying his dinner.

"This is awesome!" Kai exclaimed (it was hard to understand because of the food in his mouth).

"How can you stuff your face like that after hearing about this King of Evil guy?" Toad asked.

Kai swallowed the food in his mouth.

"We beat the Lord of Darkness and Ganondorf," Kai said. "This King of Evil should be no problem."

"I'm not so sure," Hazel said. "I did research on the King of Evil. Apparently, he was one of the earliest beings of all time. It is said that his power was only shadowed by that of the original God."

"If he was so strong, what happened to him?" Serena asked.

"Apparently, he disappeared when he attempted to steal God's power," Hazel answered. "He tried to steal the Divine Medallion, but it was too much for him. He just disappeared."

"Just disappeared?" Kai asked. "No battle? No bloodshed? Just disappeared?"

"Yeah," Hazel replied. "That's the strangest thing."

"Well, if he's gone, there should be no problem," Serena said.

"What if these followers of his are trying to revive him?" Zero asked.

"Is a revival even possible?" Kai asked.

"Not unless the being that is being revived was sealed, not killed," Hazel said. "It's impossible to bring back the dead, but unsealing someone is definitely possible."

"Since we don't know whether or not he's dead, then we'll have to take this threat seriously," Zero said.

"Then it's settled!" Kai exclaimed.

"Um…excuse me," a young woman's voice said from behind Kai.

Kai and his friends looked in that direction. Standing there was a young woman with long, brunette hair and green eyes. She was wearing a long, green dress with an apron. She wore an orange bandana in her hair.

"Are you the heroes I've heard about?" she asked.

"That depends," Kai said. "Are you looking for Kai Kamai?"

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed.

"Then you've got the right team," Kai said. "Sit down and tell us what you need."

The young woman grabbed a chair, pulled it up to the table, and sat down.

"My name's Celia," the young woman said. "My family runs a vegetable farm."

"Why would a veggie farmer need us?" Toad asked.

"Well, the town where I live in Forget-Me-Not-Valley is going bankrupt," Celia said. "Some of the men in my hometown decided to enter the Olympics that are going to be held in a week."

"They have the Olympics here?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, why?" Toad asked.

"Because the Olympics are in my world," Kai said. "My family and I used to watch them together."

"Umm…may I…" Celia began.

"Sorry," Kai apologized. "Please continue."

"Well, all of the men who were going to enter, except a friend of mine, had accidents," Celia said. "Luckily, my friend happened to be out of town while the accidents happened. Without a team, we can't enter."

"So you need us to enter the Olympics, right?" Toad asked.

"Yes," Celia said. "After hearing about your heroics, I was sure that you could help."

"It's no problem," Kai said. "We'll do it."

"Great!" Celia happily exclaimed. "I'll be sure to pay you when the Olympics are over!"

"How many of us do you need?" Zero asked.

"Well…we need three," Celia answered.

"Good," Kai said. "Three of us can enter, and two of us can be back-ups! Next stop: Forget-Me-Not-Valley!"

"Thank you!" Celia exclaimed. "I'll lead you there."

Meanwhile, Mel and Mammoth, who were covered in dirt and bruises, were staggering into town.

"Damn…that…Kai…Kamai," Mammoth said. "Because of him, we got lost in the caves! We didn't even fine one stinking piece of gold!"

"Technically, it was your idea to go to the caves," Mel said.

"SHUT UP!" Mammoth shouted. "We'll get Kai Kamai if it's the last thing you ever do."

"Ok…wait…" Mel said.

"Don't think," Mammoth said. "Now, let's find…"

Just then, Kai's group, as well as Celia, passed by them on their way out of town.

"This is perfect!" Mammoth exclaimed. "Now I shall have my revenge!"

"What's your plan?" Mel asked.

Mammoth was silent for a minute.

"You don't know, do you?" Mel asked.

"I'll…come up with a plan as we go," Mammoth said. "We have to follow them!"

Mammoth grabbed Mel and dragged him as they followed Kai. After a couple days of hiking, they reached Forget-Me-Not-Valley. The sun was setting over the horizon.

The town itself wasn't very large. There was a vegetable farm (which belongs to Celia's family), an apartment building, several houses, an archeological sight, a scientist's lab, one mansion, and a ranch.

"Cool!" Kai exclaimed.

"You can spend the night at my house," Celia said. "It's the least I can do for you."

"Good," Kai said. "I'm hungry! Let's have dinner!"

Celia led them to the vegetable farm. They went inside the main building. In the kitchen was a large woman with orange hair.

"I'm home!" Celia shouted.

"Celia!" the woman with orange hair exclaimed. "Welcome home!"

She walked up to her. She then noticed Kai and his friends.

"Who are your friends?" she asked.

"These warriors are going to enter the Olympics for us," Celia answered.

"Then welcome!" the orange-haired woman shouted.

She gave Kai a tight hug. She then let Kai go. Kai was breathing hard.

"She hugs tighter than a Goron!" Kai said.

"My name's Vesta," the woman said. "I own the farm and sell my vegetables."

Then Kai and his group introduced themselves. Vesta then noticed Toad and his head.

"You do know that there is a fungus growing on your…" Vesta said.

"It's not growing there!" Toad shouted. "It is part of my head!"

"He's from the Mushroom Kingdom," Kai explained.

"I see," Vesta said. "Anyway, I bet you guys want something to eat. I'll get dinner ready."

"Dinner!" Kai exclaimed. "Now that's a word I wanted to hear!"

About half-an-hour later, they were all enjoying dinner. Another guy, who happened to live there as well, was at the table. He wore a white shirt, blue jeans, and had hair like Fonzy. His left arm was broken. His name was Marlin.

The dinner consisted of different vegetables.

"No meat, but it's still good," Kai said.

"Thanks," Vesta said.

"So what happened to your arm?" Hazel asked Marlin.

"I'm not sure," Marlin answered. "I was just sitting near a cliff when something pushed me off."

"Were you one of the guys that was going to…" Kai began.

"Yep," Marlin answered immediately. "That Jack guy is lucky that he isn't hurt."

"Jack?" Toad asked.

"He's the friend I told you about," Celia answered. "He runs the local ranch. He raises animals and grows crops. I love to visit him."

"He sounds nice," Hazel said.

"That's not the half of it," Celia said. "He comes to visit us all of the time. The two of us are really close."

"Ok," Kai said. "I think I'll go visit him in the morning. I'd like to meet whoever we're working with."

So they finished dinner. The following morning, at sunrise, Kai headed straight for the ranch. As soon as he stepped into the ranch area, he heard barking. He looked towards where the barking came from. A puppy was barking angrily at him.

"How cute," Kai said. "Come here, little fella."

The puppy growled. It then lunged for him.

Meanwhile, a guy with brown hair, brown eyes, a white shirt, a red undershirt, blue jeans, gloves, boots, and a yellow backpack was walking out of the chicken coop. He heard yells in pain and looked towards the source. Kai was trying to get the puppy to let go of his hand.

"GET IT OFF!!!" Kai shouted over and over as he shook his arm.

"Inu, down boy!" the other guy commanded.

The puppy immediately let go of Kai's hand and walked over to its doghouse.

"That hurt," Kai said. "Thanks."

"No problem," the other guy said. "Sorry. Inu is an excellent guard dog. In fact, he attacks anyone except Celia and me if they enter my ranch. By the way, my name's Jack."

"I'm Kai," Kai said.

"Good to meet ya," Jack said. "So, I haven't seen your face around here before. You must be a traveler."

"Sort of," Kai said. "Celia hired my friends and me to join you in the Olympics."

"So she's found somebody," Jack said. "Good."

"It's funny," Kai said. "You don't look like much of an athlete."

"Neither do you, but you're helping anyway," Jack said. "I'll do anything to save Forget-Me-Not-Valley."

"So the Olympics are in a few days," Kai said. "Have you been training?"

"A bit, in-between my farm duties," Jack said. "So, you said that there were more of you. So where are they?"

"Back at Celia's house," Kai answered.

"Alright," Jack said. "I just got done with my chores. So let's go over there."

"You're done?!" Kai exclaimed. "The sun's barely rising!"

"Early to bed, early to rise," Jack said. "Anyway, let's get going."

Jack and Kai began to head out the ranch. Suddenly, Kai heard something rustling in the trees.

"Get down!" Kai shouted.

Kai jumped on Jack and knocked him down. Suddenly, three shuriken hit a nearby tree.

"What the hell was that?!" Jack asked.

"Ninjas," Kai answered. "Show yourselves!"

Suddenly, three ninjas appeared in nearby trees. One had his mouth and nose covered with a blue bandana. Another was a young woman with long, blonde hair. The third was a muscular guy with a giant sword on his back. They all had headbands with the symbol of the Village hidden in the Mist.

"You aren't an ordinary guy, are you?" the first ninja asked.

"The name's Kai Kamai," Kai said.

"I've heard of you," the girl said. "You're some hotshot swordsman. Why are you working for farmers."

"I'll help anyone who needs it," Kai answered.

"You won't be able to help anyone once we're through with you!" the muscular man shouted.

He threw his sword like a boomerang. Kai grabbed Jack and jumped out of the way. The sword turned around and returned to its owner.

"Jack, get behind me!" Kai shouted.

Jack did just that.

"Eat **Dragon Pulse**!" Kai shouted.

He held out his right hand. Suddenly, the **Dragon Pulse** shot straight for the muscular guy. The muscular guy merely jumped out of the way.

"Damn," Kai thought.

Suddenly, the kunoichi appeared behind him. She began to form hand-signs.

"**Water-Style: Water Dragon Jutsu**!" she shouted.

Suddenly, water from a pond near the barn rose into the air and formed a dragon. It then charged for Kai and Jack.

Kai withdrew his sword and held out his arms.

"**Nayru's Love**!" Kai shouted.

A diamond-shaped barrier surrounded Kai and Jack. The water dragon hit the barrier, reflected off of it, and shot straight towards the kunoichi. The ninja with a bandana ran in-between the dragon and his teammate.

"**Water-Style: Water Dragon Jutsu**!" he shouted as he formed hand-signs.

A second dragon of water rose from the pond and hit the first one, destroying both of them.

"This is getting stupid!" Kai shouted.

He held his right hand out. The ninjas prepared for an attack. Suddenly, Kai pointed his hand upwards.

"**Din's Fire**!" Kai shouted.

A giant wave of fire shot from Kai's hand and exploded in the air. Kai's friends saw the explosion from Celia's house.

"Was that a spell?" Toad asked.

"It was **Din's Fire**," Zero answered.

"That means Kai's in danger!" Hazel shouted. "We have to move!"

"We'll be right back!" Toad told Celia, Vesta, and Marlin as they ran out of the building.

"Why are they running towards a fireball?" Vesta asked.

"That's where Jack's house is!" Celia shouted. "I have to help him!"

Celia rushed out of the building.

"Celia, get back here!" Vesta shouted.

Meanwhile, the ninjas had Kai and Jack on the run. Every time the two of them tried to get out of the area, however, the ninjas blocked the exit. Soon, Kai was tiring from using multiple spells.

"If I can get the three of them to stop moving, I could finish them," Kai said. "But they won't stop moving."

Kai fell on one knee.

"That's it!" the kunoichi shouted.

She threw a shuriken towards Kai. Jack grabbed Kai and pulled him into a tool-shed.

"They merely cornered themselves," the muscular ninja said.

"Then let's show those fools who they're messing with," the bandana ninja said.

The three of them walked to the tool-shed. Suddenly, Inu began to bark angrily. The ninjas turned their attention to him. Inu continued to bark.

"That dog's getting annoying," the kunoichi said. "Can we kill it?"

"We have to focus on Kamai," the bandana ninja said. "But I'll let you have your fun."

"Leave my dog alone," Jack's voice said from inside the tool-shed.

Jack came out holding a pitchfork in his hands.

"Give it up, kid," the muscular ninja said. "You won't beat us with that."

"I'll fight you to the very end," Jack said.

"Then this is the end," the bandana ninja said.

"Forget someone?!" Kai's voice shouted from behind them.

They turned around. Kai was in the first Avian stage.

"When did you get wings?!" the kunoichi asked.

"How did you get out of that tool-shed?" the muscular ninja asked.

"First, I happen to be part Avian," Kai said. "Secondly, have you ever heard of a backdoor?"

"I don't care if you're part pigeon!" the muscular ninja asked. "I'm gonna kick your butt!"

"How about we decimate this entire farm in one blow?" the bandana ninja asked. "It's time for the combined transformation."

The three ninjas then got together. The bandana ninja formed a hand-sign.

"**Combined Transformation**!" the three ninjas shouted together.

Suddenly, in a cloud of smoke, the three ninjas were replaced by a three-headed, blue dragon.

"Perfect," Kai said.

Kai held his sword to his right.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest sage_…" Kai began.

His sword began to transform into golden energy. The three-headed dragon flew into the air and began to charge energy into its mouth.

"…_Courage that shines brighter than the sun_," Kai continued. "_I pray to thee and I swear to thee_!"

Kai's friends and Celia reached the ranch in time to watch the final attack.

"What's that?" Celia asked.

"**The Gigaslash**!" Toad exclaimed.

"_Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand_!" Kai shouted.

His energy-sword glowed brighter than ever. The dragon released its energy blast.

"**GIGASLASH**!!!" Kai shouted as he swung his blade.

His sword hit the energy blast. Suddenly, the dragon's attack was absorbed by the **Gigaslash's** energy. The combined energy blew the dragon away in a huge explosion. When the light and smoke from the explosion faded, the trees had been blown down, the dog had been blown into Jack's arms, and Jack was staring in awe at what he just saw.

Suddenly, the three ninjas fell onto the ground. Their transformation had faded. They all passed out.

Celia immediately ran over to Jack.

"Jack, are you alright?" Celia asked.

"I'm fine," Jack said. "Luckily, the animals were in the barn, so they're alright too."

"That's good," Celia said.

Kai landed on his feet. His friends ran up to him.

"Why did you call us over if you didn't need us?" Hazel asked.

"I needed you guys **before** they decided to be idiots and combine into a slow-moving creature," Kai said.

Zero examined the three ninjas.

"They are rogue ninjas," Zero said.

The kunoichi began to groan. Zero then grabbed the collar of her shirt and lifted her up.

"Tell us!" Zero shouted angrily. "Why the hell did you attack Kai and the farmer?!"

"I'm…not…answering," she said.

"Wrong answer," Zero said.

Zero threw her onto the ground. He then began to form hand-signs. When he was done, his right hand began to glow with powerful energy. He used his left hand to grab the girl.

"You have three seconds to tell me before I blow you to bits," Zero said.

"Alright!" the kunoichi shouted. "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Why are you here?!" Zero shouted angrily.

"We were hired!" the kunoichi answered fearfully. "Some athlete hired us to attack the farmer!"

"Who hired you?!" Zero shouted. "What's his name?!"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I swear!"

Zero then threw the girl onto the ground.

"Grab your teammates and run," Zero said. "I better not see your faces again."

The kunoichi then grabbed her friends and ran off.

"Did you know that you're scary when you want to be?" Kai asked.

"Of course," Zero said. "Interrogating involves being scary sometimes."

Jack and Celia stood up.

"Thanks for the help," Jack said. "I'm sure you guys will be great in the Olympics."

"So will you," Kai said. "You dragged me to the tool-shed without getting hit by any attacks. That takes speed and strength."

"Thanks," Jack said.

"There's no way we can lose!" Toad exclaimed happily.

Meanwhile, the three ninjas met up with a guy who was hiding in the shadows.

"Did you finish the job?" the guy in the shadows asked.

"Not really," the bandana ninja answered. "They hired some sort of swordsman on their team. He has destructive powers! He defeated our strongest attack in one blow!"

"No doubt he'll be working for them," the guy in the shadows said. "I must find his weakness and get rid of this swordsman. You three are fired! Get out of my face!"

The three shinobi ran off. The guy in the shadows walked deeper into the shadows until he was no longer visible.


	14. Chapter 14: The Dark Wings

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 14: The Dark Wings**

After a few days, Kai, his friends, Jack, and Celia finally made it to the large stadium where the Olympic Games would be held. There were teams from all over the world competing here. Kai recognized some of the countries from his travels.

"This is neat," Kai said.

"We're not here to sightsee," Zero said. "We're going to compete."

"I know," Kai said. "Wait, we haven't decided who's going to compete out of the five of us!"

"You're a given," Serena said. "So is Zero. We just have to pick a third."

"I'm out," Hazel said. "I'm no good at athletics."

"Count me out," Toad said. "I specialize in magic."

"What?!" Serena exclaimed. "Does that mean…"

"Why are you complaining?" Toad asked. "You should be great at this stuff."

"I know…" Serena said. "I was just hoping that I could get a reward without having to do any work."

"You lazy little…" Toad began.

"Let's stop there before we say something we regret," Kai said. "Anyway, we still have to sign up."

"The sign-up table is just ahead," Celia said. "I'll sign you guys up."

"Just what competitions are we doing?" Kai asked.

"I'm entering you guys into the God Cup," Celia said. "That's where we can get the prize money from."

"Just how hard is the God Cup?" Kai asked.

"It's the hardest one," Jack answered. "There are five events, as far as I know."

"Just five?" Kai asked. "This should be a snap."

"I'll go sign you up," Celia said.

She ran up to the sign-up table. While she was signing the team up, Hazel felt a sinister chill. She looked for the source of the chill, but she couldn't find it.

"What's wrong?" Toad asked.

"N…Nothing," Hazel answered. "It was nothing."

"Ok," Toad said. "Whatever."

Celia came back to them.

"We're signed up," Celia said. "The games start tomorrow morning. So rest up!"

"Just what competitions are we signed up for?" Kai asked. "I'd like to know what we're competing in."

"This piece of paper has the order," Celia said as she pulled out a schedule. "First is the 4x100 meter relay. Next comes archery. After that is trampoline. Then is the hammer throw. Finally, we have the fencing competition."

"Leave fencing to me," Kai said confidently.

"Fencing is not like regular sword fighting, Kai," Zero said.

"As long as I wield a sword, I'm a good fighter," Kai said. "It doesn't matter what kind of sword."

"Then we'll be happy," Serena said. "Just remember that you can only enter one single competition. That leaves archery, trampoline, and the hammer throw to Zero, Jack, or me."

"I guess I'll take archery," Jack said. "I know a bit about the bow and arrow."

"I'm no good at throwing hammers," Serena said. "So I'll take the trampoline."

"And I guess you'll leave me with the hammer throw," Zero said.

"Now that we've decided, let's do this!" Serena exclaimed.

"Wait, what exactly is our team name?" Kai asked.

They all looked towards Celia.

"Well, I wasn't sure what to put for a name so I…" she began.

A few hours later, the announcers were announcing the teams. One of the announcers was a Koopa and the other was a mushroom person.

"Hello, sports fans!" the Koopa said through the microphone. "We are your favorite announcers, Kenny Koopa…"

"…and Harry Fungus," the mushroom person said.

"And we're here to announce the competitors," Kenny said. "We'd first like to announce the teams in the Gods Cup. The first team is Team No Na Me."

"No Na Me?" Harry said. "Let me see that sheet."

Kenny handed Harry the sheet.

"That says 'No **Name**', Kenny," Harry corrected.

"Seriously?" Kenny asked. "That's a stupid name."

Serena was glaring at Celia.

"No Name?!" Serena shouted. "No Name?! That's just plain stupid! Why didn't you name us something else?!"

"I…couldn't decide on anything," Celia said. "So I decided to just leave the name section blank."

"Does our name really matter?" Kai laughed. "It's kinda funny."

"Let's just get these games over with," Zero said.

"Another set of newcomers is Team Dark Wings!" Kenny shouted.

Hazel felt the sudden chill again. She then saw that it was coming from Team Dark Wings. They were four people that wore long, black cloaks that covered their faces.

"You have to appreciate the uniqueness of their uniforms," Harry said. "Their outfits just scream 'Fear'."

"But it's the middle of summer," Kenny said. "Who the hell wears a thick, black cloak in this heat?"

"It just proves that they are willing to tough things out," Harry replied.

The member of Team Dark Wings that was in the front looked over towards Kai's group.

"Who do you think they are?" Kai asked Zero.

"Who knows?" Zero replied.

Toad, who was with Hazel in the stands, saw that Hazel had a fearful look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Toad asked.

"I'm not sure," Hazel replied. "I feel something…sinister coming from them. Especially their leading member."

"Don't worry," Toad reassured her. "If there's anything bad out there, Kai, Zero, and Serena can handle it."

"I guess," Hazel said calmly.

Then the announcers announced the rest of the teams. They then announced the teams of the other cups.

"And now, to light the traditional torch, here's the fire-master himself: MARIO!!!" Kenny shouted.

"Mario?!" Kai and his friends exclaimed together.

Standing up beside the torch was Mario himself. Mario held his right hand over the torch. He then launched a fireball into the torch and lit it.

That night, Kai, his friends, Celia, and Jack met up with Mario, who was with Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and Luigi.

"I never expected you five to be here," Mario said to Kai. "It's a strange coincidence, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kai said.

"So Toadette isn't here," Toad said.

"Sorry, Toad," Toadsworth said. "She won't be coming. She has too much to do back home."

"Man," Toad groaned. "I wanted to see her. It's been a while."

"I'll tell her that you said 'hi'," Toadsworth said.

"Anyway, how have you been?" Mario asked.

Kai and his friends explained their adventures, including the Divine Medallion.

"I see," Mario said. "I wish I could help, but I have no idea where these 'Divine Shards' are."

"Thanks anyway," Zero said. "Well, we'd better get a good night's sleep. We have to compete tomorrow."

"Good idea!" Kai exclaimed. "Maybe we can even get some delicious food!"

"I'll prepare dinner for you all," Celia said. "I might as well do something to help the team."

So that night, Kai and his friends enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Celia. They soon fell asleep so they could be ready for the following morning.

In the middle of the night, the Dark Wings gathered around a strange, purple orb that was in the middle of an empty field.

"Do you understand your orders?" a dark voice said from the orb. "Win the tournament, and I'll be sure that the valley is sold to you. But one of the prizes is mine."

"The trophy, right?" the leader of Dark Wings asked. "I don't understand why you want it, but the trophy's yours if we get the land."

"What about that swordsman?" a female member of the Dark Wings asked the leader. "He managed to defeat those ninjas you hired, and he's on that valley's team."

"Everyone has an Achilles' Heel," the leader said. "We just have to find his."

"Don't screw this up!" the dark voice said from the orb. "If you do, you won't ever see the light of day!"

The orb then changed black and was silent.

The leader looked towards one of the other members of Team Dark Wings.

"You there!" he exclaimed. "Find out the swordsman's weakness before the fencing match! If we can exploit that, he will lose!"

"What about the rest of his team?" that member asked.

"There are four events before it," the leader said. "Not only that, the last round in the tournament is worth twice the normal amount! We just have to keep up with the valley's team until then. Now, go and spy!"

"Yes sir," the member he addressed said.

That member then ran off into the darkness.

"Now we just get a good night's rest," the leader said. "We must win, no matter what. The land will be ours!"

The following morning, Kai was the first to get up. He got up just before the sun rose. He then stepped outside to get a good view of the sunrise. After he stood outside for a few minutes, Hazel walked out as well.

"Hey, Kai," Hazel said.

"Hey," Kai answered.

Hazel walked up to him.

"I hope you got enough sleep," Hazel said. "Everyone's counting on you, Zero, Serena, and Jack."

"I did," Kai said. "I fell asleep before everyone else."

"True," Hazel replied.

The two of them were silent for a moment. Hazel then spoke.

"Kai, I'm sure you do great," Hazel said. "You've never failed in anything that you do. It's one of the many appealing traits about you. If you promise to do something, you get it done."

"I guess," Kai replied.

"It's just in your nature, I guess," Hazel said. "You are quite the hero. I remember the first time we met. We were fighting. Nevertheless, you still saved me when I was about to be crushed. It doesn't matter whether if the person you save is a friend or an enemy, you protect them from darkness.

"I hope…that you'll always be here to protect us."

"Yeah," Kai said. "Thanks, Hazel."

Kai and Hazel then watched the sunrise.

"The others will be awake soon," Hazel said. "We'd better get inside before anyone gets the wrong idea."

Hazel then walked into the building. Kai followed her. As they entered the building, they didn't notice that somebody was watching them. That person had been watching them since Kai first stepped outside. It was the member of Team Dark Wings that had been sent to spy on Kai.

"So that's your weakness," the guy said. "You'll soon have to make a decision: the mission or your friend."

He laughed evilly as he disappeared once more.


	15. Chapter 15: Olympic Games

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 15: Olympic Games**

Fireworks exploded in the sky, signaling the beginning of the games. The teams walked out. There were many different kinds of people walking into the stadium, whether they were on a team or not. There were Hylians, Mushroom people, regular humans, and even Pokemon gathering into the stadium.

Celia, Hazel, and Toad were able to get a front seat because of the influence of Princess Peach.

"Go Kai!" Toad shouted.

"You can do this!" Hazel shouted.

When all of the teams were gathered, Kenny and Harry rode a balloon to watch the games from above.

"The teams are now gathered together!" Kenny shouted. "It's now time for the tournament!"

"The first match is the 4x100 meter relay!" Harry shouted. "In this match, each team member will run 100 meters while holding a baton. Once they reach the next member of the team, they must hand off the baton. The team that gets the last member across the finish line first wins!"

All of the teams lined up on the track. For Kai's team, Jack was the first runner, Zero was the second, Serena was the third, and Kai was the last one.

Team Dark Wings removed their cloaks now. The member running first was an extremely muscular man, but it didn't look like he was a fast runner. The second was a young, sinister-looking woman with silver hair and blood-red eyes. The third was a leaner, and possible faster, young man who was the smallest member of the group. The last, who was possibly the team's leader, was a man with an average build. He had slick, black hair and black eyes.

"Alright, little man," the large man said to Jack. "Do you think you can beat me?"

"By the looks of things, anyone could beat you in a race," Jack replied.

The large man got angry, but he didn't lunge out at Jack. He had to keep his cool, or else his team would be disqualified.

"Teams ready?!" Harry shouted. "Start running when you hear the whistle. **3…2…1…**"

Harry blew a whistle. The first members of the teams started a dash. All of the first members managed to keep up at the same pace. Jack and the large man soon got ahead of the rest of the teams. Jack managed to pass the baton before the large man, so Zero got a good start.

The young woman was right behind him, however. She ran faster and faster, eventually catching up with Zero. Zero saw that she had an evil look on her face, but he didn't understand why. He then looked ahead. He saw a nearly invisible wire on the ground. Zero jumped over the wire to dodge it. The young woman did as well. The rest of the racers, whose instincts weren't as keen as Zero's, tripped when they hit the wire.

Zero and the young woman reached their partners at the same time. When Serena and the slim man began their run, Zero glared at the young woman, who merely smiled.

"So they'll do anything to win," Zero thought. "I'd better keep my eyes open for any other tricks."

Serena and the slim man ran at about the same pace. Soon, however, the slim man gained a boost in speed. He made it to the leader before Serena could reach Kai, so the leader got a head start. As soon as Kai got the baton, he was off like a rocket. He used all of his energy to catch up to the leader of Team Dark Wings. They were neck-to-neck as they hit the home stretch. Kai used one last burst of energy to dash past the finish line first.

The crowd cheered as Zero, Jack, and Serena ran up to Kai. Kai's group waved to crowd triumphantly.

"Winners: TEAM NO NAME!!!" Harry shouted.

Hazel, Toad, Celia, and the members of the Mushroom Kingdom cheered louder than anyone else. Zero then walked up to Kai and tapped his shoulder.

"What is it?" Kai asked.

"Those guys are cheaters," Zero said. "They'll do anything to win. Watch out for that in the remaining rounds."

"No problem," Serena said. "Now that we know to watch out for cheating, we'll win with no problem."

"Team No Name is awarded 10 points," Kenny shouted. "Team Dark Wings gains 8, Team…"

He announced the rest of the scores.

"Alright, we'll start the next event in half-an-hour to give the competitors a rest," Harry announced.

Hazel, Toad, and Celia met up with the rest of the team.

"You guys did great!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Thanks," Kai said.

"You really pulled through for us," Serena said. "That last burst of speed put you in the lead."

"Alright," Zero said. "What competition is next?"

"The archery match is next," Celia answered.

"Then that means that I'm up," Jack said. "I'll do my best for the team."

Meanwhile, the members of Team Dark Wings met in an empty room.

"Are you sure that's his weakness, Slick?" the team leader asked the slim guy.

"Of course," Slick answered. "I could tell that the girl is his whole world."

"I hope you're sure about that," the girl said. "If we screw up, then we lose."

"I'm absolutely sure, Cassidy," Slick replied. "We can use the girl to get the swordsman to lose."

"Then we don't have a moment to lose," the leader said. "Here's how we'll do this. During the hammer throw, which is right before the fencing match, Slick and Cassidy will kidnap the girl. Everyone will be too focused on the match to notice anything. Then, once the swordsman realizes what is happening, he will forfeit the match to us in exchange for the girl."

"What if he doesn't forfeit?" the muscular guy asked.

"What are you talking about, Rock?!" Slick shouted. "Are you saying that my information is wrong?!"

"It doesn't matter," the leader said. "If he refuses, then we can just kill the girl. With that weighing heavily on his conscience, he will lose the match anyway. Do you all understand the plan?"

"Yes, sir!" the other three answered.

"Good," the leader said. "Now, you must win your matches. We must seize the valley!"

After thirty minutes, the competitors from each of the teams gathered at the archery range. Jack saw that the opponent from Team Dark Wings was Slick.

"You have ten shots to get as many points as you can," Harry announced. "Fire in 3…2…1…"

He then blew the whistle. All of the competitors began firing their arrows. Jack aimed carefully and fired the first arrow. The arrow swerved left and hit the 8-point mark. Slick, however, managed to hit the bulls-eye on each of his shots. All of Jack's arrows hit the 8-point mark.

"It's over!" Kenny shouted when all of the arrows had been fired.

Jack took a look. Luckily, the other teams, besides Slick, gained less points than him.

"The winner of the archery round is Slick!" Kenny shouted. "That's 10 points to Team Dark Wings. Team No Name gains 8 points. Team…"

After all of the scores were announced, the teams left the archery range. Jack, however, remained as Kai, Serena, and Zero walked up to him.

"No problem," Kai said. "You did your best. We'll just make up those points in our rounds."

"The odd thing was that I usually do better," Jack said. "It's like all of my arrows missed on purpose."

"Let me see your bow," Zero said.

Jack handed Zero the bow and an arrow. Zero then walked to a spot far off from his team. He then aimed the bow at Kai.

"What are you doing?!" Kai shouted.

Zero then released the arrow. Instead of hitting Kai, however, the arrow swerved left and hit a wall.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Kai shouted. "You could've killed me!"

"No I couldn't," Zero said. "That bow was rigged. Unless I aimed to the left of you, I definitely would've missed."

"Are you sure?" Serena asked.

"Hand me another bow," Zero said.

Serena found a second bow and handed it to Zero. Zero then grabbed another arrow, stepped into the same spot as earlier, and aimed for the first arrow. He then shot the bow. The second arrow pierced the first arrow.

"If I'm right, then all of the other bows should work fine," Zero said. "Team Dark Wings must've rigged your bow."

"Then we should tell someone!" Jack exclaimed.

"We have no proof that they did it," Zero said. "We can only guess. That's why I didn't say anything about the wire on the track. I had absolutely no proof that they did it."

"So they can cheat as much as they want, and we can't do anything about it?!" Kai asked.

"Yeah," Zero said. "All we can do is avoid getting cheated and play fair."

Zero then walked out of the archery range.

"Did you know that he could shoot an arrow?" Kai asked.

"You know him more than I do," Serena said.

Serena, Jack, and Kai then followed Zero. The tournament now took a break for lunch. Kai's group ate with Princess Peach, Mario, and Toadsworth.

"They were cheating?!" everyone except Kai, Serena, Zero, and Jack exclaimed.

"That's what we said," Kai said. "But if we had proof, we could get them disqualified."

"That's not fair!" Hazel exclaimed. "They can cheat all they want, and there's nothing you guys can do about it!"

"All we can do is watch to make sure they don't cheat anymore," Zero said.

"I'll keep an eye out for any sign of cheating," Mario said. "Princess, could you alert the mushroom guard as well."

"No problem," Princess Peach said.

"Anyway, we have to get ready for the next event," Toad said. "What's next?"

"Trampoline," Celia read from the schedule.

"Then I'm up," Serena said. "Don't worry. I won't fall for the Dark Wings' tricks."

Serena then headed for the gymnastics building. The rest of the group followed her. Everyone else watched from the stands as they waited for Serena to enter the arena.

"Next up is Serena from Team No Name!" Harry announced.

Serena ran out into the stadium. She was wearing a yellow gymnast's outfit. She stepped onto the trampoline.

"Remember folks," Harry announced. "She may start jumping whenever she wishes, but the scoring officially begins when she reaches a height of five feet. She will have a time limit."

Serena began to jump on the trampoline. With each bounce, she rose higher and higher until she reached five feet.

"The scoring begins!" Harry shouted.

Serena now began her flips and turns. The judges, which consisted of a Zora, a Hylian, and a Goron. watched carefully as Serena performed.

"She's doing great!" Celia exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the leader from Team Dark Wings and Slick were watching from the stands. The leader had a pair of binoculars.

"Now," the leader said.

"With pleasure," Slick replied.

Slick pulled out some shuriken. He then prepared to throw them. Serena saw the reflection of light from the metal shuriken coming from the stands. She then saw Slick throw the shuriken. Serena merely flipped her body in a position that dodges the shuriken. She then performed a few more midair flips as she landed on the trampoline. The timer then went off.

"And she nails it!" Kenny shouted. "In my opinion, she deserves a high score! Let's see what the judges think!"

All three judges held up their scores. All three of their scores were perfect tens.

"And she has a perfect score!" Harry shouted.

The crowd cheered louder than before.

"Amazing!" Hazel shouted.

"She was meant for the trampoline," Jack said.

"Maybe it's because she's used to stuff like this," Toad said.

Cassidy was next. Her performance, while impressive, didn't receive the cheering that Serena's got. Her score ended up being two tens and a nine.

"Damn!" the leader said under his breath.

Soon, all of the teams were finished. Harry and Kenny announced Serena's victory. Team No Name pulled ahead in the scores. The rest of the group met Serena outside of the room.

"That was amazing!" Kai exclaimed.

"Thanks," Serena said. "My dad had a trampoline in the training room back in the desert. I would use it all of the time."

"So you **do** have a purpose beyond stealing things," Toad said.

Serena then hit Toad on the head.

"Zero, your event is next, right?" Serena asked.

Celia looked at the schedule.

"I think so," Celia said.

"Good luck," Kai said to Zero.

"I'll give it my best shot," Zero said.

After half-an-hour, the next event began. Everyone who was competing in this event gathered into the field. Everyone else gathered in the stands.

"First up is Rock from Team Dark Wings!" Harry shouted.

Rock went up to the ball-and-chain that was sitting in front of a long ruler. He then grabbed the chain. He then began to spin around and around. Eventually, he threw the ball-and-chain. Rock launched it far across the stadium. When it landed, a Lakitu flew up to the ball-and-chain. He looked at the ruler and held up a sign. The sign had a "73" on it.

"73 feet!" Harry shouted. "Amazing! That's going to be hard to beat!"

Rock then walked past Zero.

"Try beating that, little man," Rock said.

Zero then walked up to the next ball-and-chain. He grabbed it.

"It must be heavy," Kai said.

"Can Zero…" Toad began.

Zero then began to spin around and around. When his spinning reached a high speed, Zero released the ball-and-chain. It flew like a rocket. Everyone in the audience watched it fly across the stadium. They all had looks of shock on their faces. The ball-and-chain eventually landed. The Lakitu flew up to it. He then looked at the ruler. His eyes widened with shock. After a minute of silence, the Lakitu held up a sign that read "90".

"90 FEET?!" Harry exclaimed. "That's a world record!"

The crowd cheered louder than before. Rock was surprised at what he just saw. Zero passed by him.

"Nice try, lightweight," Zero said.

Rock growled angrily at this. As everyone else cheered, Kai looked around. Hazel was missing.

"Where's Hazel?" Kai asked.

"She said she needed to use the bathroom," Serena answered.

"When was that?" Kai asked.

"A few minutes ago," Serena said. "No problem. She'll be back in no time."

Everyone else, even though they were sure they would lose, finished their turns as the sun set.

"It's been an hour," Kai said. "Not even Hazel spends this long in the bathroom. There's something wrong. I'm going to look for her. You guys tell Zero where I'm going."

Kai then ran out of the stands. He looked throughout the stadium for Hazel. He soon looked everywhere.

"Where could she be?" Kai thought.

A kunai knife then shot into the ground in front of him. There was a note attached. Kai picked up the knife, unraveled the note, and began to read it:

"We have your girl. If you ever wish to see her again, you will forfeit the fencing round. We will return the girl if you follow our demands. Should you refuse, she will die."

Attached to the note was a picture of Hazel tied up. Kai's face showed the shock he felt. He then crumbled the note in his right hand.

"HAZEL!!!" Kai shouted.

Slick, who was hiding in the shadows, laughed maliciously as he disappeared. Now Kai was face-to-face with an impossible decision: surrender or lose Hazel.


	16. Chapter 16: Blood Gems

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 16: Blood Gems**

"WHAT?!" everyone else exclaimed when Kai gave them the news.

Everyone, including Mario and Peach, was told this information.

"So they kidnapped Hazel so you'd forfeit," Zero said.

"They're nothing but a bunch of cowards!" Toad shouted.

Everyone took a moment to calm down.

"So what are you going to do?" Toad asked.

"The competition, because of how late it is, will be tomorrow morning," Zero said. "We have until then to find Hazel."

"Do we even know where to look first?" Serena asked. "Hazel could be anywhere."

"We have to split up," Kai said. "Jack and I can check the stands, you and Toad can check the stadium's hallways, and Mario and Zero can check team Dark Wings' rooms."

"Right," everyone agreed.

So the group split up into individual search parties. Kai and Jack examined the arena and the stands, Toad and Serena walked throughout the halls, and Mario and Zero looked through their opponents' rooms.

After a few hours of searching, Kai began checking the torch while Jack was checking the arena itself.

"Have you found anything?!" Jack asked.

"Nothing yet!" Kai answered.

Kai continued to examine the torch. He then saw a strange, magic circle carved into the base of the torch.

"What's this?" Kai thought.

He placed his right hand over the circle. The circle suddenly began to glow with a dark-purple light. Then, a staircase was revealed below Kai's feet.

"I found something!" Kai shouted.

Jack immediately climbed up to the torch.

"That's cool," Jack said.

"I'm going inside," Kai said. "You get the others to meet me down there."

"I'll get them as fast as I can," Jack said. "Are you sure you'll be alright down there?"

"No problem," Kai said. "We still have a couple of hours before the competition. Hazel and I will be out before you know it."

Kai and Jack shook hands. Kai then proceeded down the stairs while Jack ran off to find the others. As Kai walked deeper and deeper into the secret cave, he felt something ominous in the air.

"What's this feeling?" Kai thought. "It's like when we fought the Lord of Darkness."

Kai continued down the cavern.

Meanwhile, Jack found everyone else. He told them all about the secret staircase.

"Then it's time we follow Kai," Zero said. "Jack, you have to take us to Kai."

"Why would they go through this much to win?" Serena asked. "Kidnapping Hazel was the last straw!"

"What are we waiting for?" Toad asked. "Let's get…"

Before Toad could finish this sentence, five shuriken shot into the ground in front of them. Everyone looked in the direction where the shuriken came from. Slick, Rock, and Cassidy were standing on a platform above them.

"You discovered our secret base," Cassidy said. "We can't let you follow us."

"So you were behind Hazel's kidnapping!" Toad shouted.

"Yes," Slick said. "But that bit of information won't be leaving this room."

"Let's just crush them already!" Rock shouted impatiently.

"Do you really think you stand a chance?" Toad asked. "One of us could take down all three of you jokers easily!"

"That's why we have this," Cassidy said.

She pulled out a strange device with a red button on it. She pressed the button, and red lightning created a barrier around the room.

"Do you think a little lightning will stop…" Zero began.

Suddenly, everyone except for the bad guys felt their strength draining away.

"What is this?!" Zero groaned.

"How do you like our special strength drainer?" Cassidy asked.

"It drains the strength from anyone who doesn't have one of these," Slick said.

Rock, Slick, and Cassidy pulled out a necklace with a red crystal on it.

"Damn," Serena said.

"You can't beat us," Rock said.

Suddenly, Zero began to laugh.

"What's so funny?!" Rock shouted.

Zero slowly stopped laughing.

"Do you think that something like this will stop me?" Zero asked. "I just need one boost of strength to take one of those necklaces from you."

"And where are you going to…" Cassidy began.

Zero began to concentrate his energy.

"**CHAKRA RELEASE**!!!" Zero shouted.

Suddenly, a huge burst of energy filled his body. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Rock asked.

Zero appeared right behind Rock. He then sliced off his necklace with his katana. Zero then grabbed the necklace.

"Serena!" Zero shouted as he tossed the necklace to her.

Serena caught the necklace and tied it around her neck. Serena then quickly stole a second necklace from Slick and threw it to Toad.

Toad tied the necklace around his neck. He then blasted Cassidy with a **Fira** spell, causing her to lose her necklace. Zero grabbed the last necklace and put it around his neck.

Rock, Cassidy, and Slick fell to their knees.

"We'll just leave you here," Toad said.

The three of them then grabbed Celia, Mario, Toadette, Jack, and Toadsworth. They all then escaped from the strength-draining chamber.

Once they were outside, the strength returned to everyone.

"That was close," Mario said.

Zero then felt a jolt of pain and fell to his knees.

"I hate it when this happens," Zero groaned as he held his stomach.

He then coughed up a bit of blood.

"Stand back," Mario said.

Mario pulled out a green mushroom. He then fed it to Zero. The pain Zero felt slowly went away.

"The mushroom will reduce the effect of your technique," Mario said. "But you have to rest. Using your strength can negate the mushroom's effect."

"I've been thinking," Celia said.

They all looked towards her.

"If we had to go through that, won't Kai?" she asked.

They all realized that she was right.

"Crap!" Toad shouted. "Kai's in danger!"

"Hand me a necklace!" Serena shouted.

Toad tossed his necklace to Serena.

"I'll take this to him," Serena said. "With Zero out of commission, I'm the fastest one of us."

Serena then ran off to help Kai. Meanwhile, Kai was traversing deeper and deeper into the hidden passage. Soon, he reached a large chamber. The walls of the chamber were black and blood red. At the other side of the chamber was the leader of the Dark Wings.

"You have arrived," the leader said.

"Shut it!" Kai shouted angrily. "Where's Hazel?!"

"Do not worry," the leader said. "She is safe. But to save her, you'll have to defeat me."

"Then I will!" Kai shouted.

"You are a fool," the leader said. "It doesn't matter how powerful you are. I have something that will defeat you."

The leader pulled out a red crystal, just like the ones on the necklaces.

"It's a blood gem," the leader said. "They are quite powerful. Using their energy, I can create power-draining force fields, power machines, and augment my own power. But this power comes at a price.

"Unless I control the power of the Goddess Spring, my allies and I will be absorbed into darkness. But the spring has power against us as long as the people of Forget-Me-Not Valley live there."

"So you've been ruining their produce and knocking them out of the competition so you could buy the valley?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Yes," the leader said. "With the power of the Goddess, I will finally be free of the curse of darkness. But you have not heard the full story. In order to be free of darkness, I made a deal with the darkness. I must give them the trophy and destroy you. In exchange, they delayed my absorption into the darkness."

"Who's 'they'?" Kai asked.

"Enough!" the leader shouted. "Now it's time I fulfill my end of the deal. I, Tatsuya, will destroy you!"

Tatsuya then drew a black rapier. He then held his red crystal into the air. Like when Cassidy activated the device, red lightning surrounded the room. Kai felt his energy drain from him.

"Now you feel the power of the blood gem," Tatsuya said. "As you become weaker, I grow stronger."

Tatsuya lunged towards Kai. Kai attempted to dodge Tatsuya's attack, but the rapier manage to scratch Kai's left arm. Kai continued to dodge Tatsuya's attacks, but he couldn't completely dodge the attacks. He didn't have the strength to dodge.

Kai then drew his sword and fought back, but his lack of speed and strength allowed Tatsuya to swiftly dodge Kai's attacks.

Kai soon found himself in a corner.

"Damn," Kai thought. "I've got no power. How can I win?"

"Kai!" a voice shouted from the tunnel Kai came from.

Kai and Tatsuya looked for the source of the voice. Serena ran into the room.

"Catch this!!!" Serena shouted as she threw the crystal necklace.

Kai caught the necklace and put it around his neck. He felt his energy suddenly return to him. Tatsuya saw this, immediately ran to the other end of the room, and pulled out a device with a red button on it.

"I have a secret weapon for just this occasion," Tatsuya said.

Tatsuya pressed the button. Suddenly, the floor beneath him began to glow with a red light. Then, the red rocks beneath him grew into a giant golem. The golem burst through the ceiling. Pieces of the ceiling began to fall towards Kai and Serena, who dodged the debris.

"HELP!!!" a voice shouted from the other side of the wall where the Golem rose.

"Hazel!" Kai shouted.

Kai and Serena ran to the other end of the room. They ran around the golem and ran up to the wall.

"Hazel, are you in there?!" Kai shouted as he banged the wall.

"Kai?" Hazel asked. "Thank the goddess, it's you! Get me out of here!"

"One escape route, coming up," Kai said as he pulled out the bomb-rock bag.

He threw a bomb-rock at the wall and destroyed it. On the other side of the destroyed wall was Hazel. Kai and Serena helped Hazel out of there.

"Thanks guys," Hazel said. "That strange crystal drained my power, so I couldn't escape."

"Let's get moving," Kai said. "We've got a golem to stop and a stadium to save."

Kai, Serena, and Hazel escaped through the torch passage. When they got out, they saw that the golem was destroying the arena.

"That's not good," Hazel said.

Everyone else caught up to them. By the looks of things, Zero was back at full strength.

"It's a good thing you're back," Toad said.

"Thanks," Hazel said. "But now's not the time for that. We've got to stop that monster."

"I'll get him," Kai said.

Kai then began to focus his energy. His power grew higher and higher until it reached a great amount. He then absorbed all of the power and grew grey wings.

"**Avian Stage 1**!" Kai shouted.

His wings grew all of the way. Kai then flew towards the golem. Kai slashed at the golem as he flew. The golem, who didn't seem to be harmed by the barrage of attacks, tried to crush the swift Kai with his arms.

Kai desperately tried to find a weak spot, but the golem seemed to be invincible.

"You'll never get through my golem's armor!" Tatsuya shouted. "It's powered with the blood gems!"

Kai flew out of the golem's reach.

"Stage one isn't working," Kai said. "Let's try **Stage 2**!"

Kai focused more of his energy. Suddenly, his wings began to glow with a bright, white light. When the light faded, his wings had changed to a pure-white color. Kai's magical power had risen to a higher amount.

Kai then began to slice at the golem's body again, but there was no damage. Kai then tried to burn the golem's armor away with a **Din's Fire**, but the golem was, once again, unfazed by this attack.

"Kai's spells aren't powerful enough!" Toad exclaimed.

Mario turned to face Toadsworth.

"Toadsworth, do you have my feather?" Mario asked.

"Right here, sir," Toadsworth said.

He pulled out a large, brown feather.

"What's a feather going to do?" Hazel asked.

Mario gripped the feather tightly with his right hand. Suddenly, his right hand began to glow. Out of nowhere, a large, yellow cape appeared on his back.

"SUPER MARIO!!!" Mario shouted.

Mario shot straight into the air like a rocket. He hit the golem on the chin with an uppercut. It knocked the golem backwards a bit, but it did no permanent damage.

"You can't hurt my golem!" Tatsuya shouted. "It's invincible!"

"Then let's try something else," Mario said.

Mario flew out of the golem's reach. He then held his hands to his right. Mario's eyes glowed with a yellow light. A gigantic fireball formed in his hands.

"**Mario Finale**!!!" Mario shouted as he threw the fireball.

The fireball grew larger and larger as it shot towards the golem. It hit the golem and knocked it down.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" Toad exclaimed.

"That was Mario's strongest attack," Toadsworth said. "He practiced it for years."

The golem had a huge hole in its chest, revealing the inside of the golem.

"Awesome!" Kai exclaimed.

Suddenly, the hole in its chest was fixed.

"What the?!" Mario exclaimed.

"It seems to have a self-healing capability," Hazel said.

"No duh there, Sherlock," Toad said.

Kai suddenly got an idea.

"Mario!" Kai shouted.

Mario looked into Kai's eyes and immediately understood what Kai's plan was. Mario prepared a second, giant fireball and looked towards the golem.

"**Mario Finale**!!!" Mario shouted as he threw the giant fireball.

The fireball grew larger and larger as it shot straight towards the golem. When it hit, it created a second hole in the chest.

"Now!" Mario shouted.

Kai flew straight into the hole, barely making it before the hole re-closed. The inside of the golem was completely dark except for a large, red light at the top. Kai flew up towards the light, which came from a gigantic blood gem.

"This must be its weakness," Kai thought. "I'll destroy it in one swing."

Kai held his sword to his side.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the eldest sage_," Kai chanted as his sword began to glow. "_Courage that shines brighter than the sun. I pray to thee and I swear to thee. Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand_."

His sword had transformed into a blade of pure energy. The energy sword was glowing extremely bright.

"**Gigaslash**!!!" Kai shouted as he swung his blade.

A huge explosion of energy rose from where Kai's sword made contact with the crystal. Back outside, the golem began to roar with pain.

"What's going…" Tatsuya began.

Before he could finish, the golem began to break apart. All of the rubble fell to the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust. When the cloud faded, there was a huge pile of rocks where the golem once was. One rock wiggled a bit, and Kai lifted it off of himself.

"That felt great," Kai said.

"Nice job!" Toad exclaimed.

Everyone ran up to where Kai was standing.

"Now the tournament's safe," Kai said.

"Uhh…not exactly," Hazel said.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"The fight completely destroyed the stadium," Zero said. "No stadium means no final match."

"Then who wins the tournament?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Nobody," a voice said from behind them.

Everybody turned around. Harry and Kenny were standing there.

"Without the stadium, the tournament has to be canceled," Harry said. "We saw the whole battle. Thanks for trying, but we'll have to cancel."

"What?!" everyone else exclaimed.

"Then I guess we lose Forget-Me-Not-Valley after all," Celia said sadly.

"A valley?" Mario asked.

"I forgot," Kai said. "We never told you. We did this tournament to help win the prize money to pay for Forget-Me-Not-Valley."

"It was all for nothing," Jack said.

Everyone was silent for a minute. Toadsworth then cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, what team was currently in the lead?" Toadsworth asked.

"This team, why?" Kenny asked.

"Then technically, they win the tournament," Toadsworth said. "They still have the most points."

"You know what?" Harry asked. "You're right. You guys do have the most points."

"Then I declare that Team No Name are the winners!" Kenny exclaimed.

Smiles appeared on everyone's faces. They began to cheer.

Later that day, Harry and Kenny presented Jack with the prize money and the trophy. Jack turned to face Kai.

"Kai, all we needed was the prize money," Jack said. "As far as I'm concerned, the trophy's yours."

Jack handed the trophy over to Kai. The trophy was a golden cup with a triangle sitting at the base of the cup. Kai and his friends looked at the trophy. Toad then noticed something odd.

"Look at that triangle," Toad said.

They examined the odd triangle. They noticed what Toad was talking about.

"It's a piece of the Divine Medallion!" Zero exclaimed.

Kai removed the piece from the trophy. Kai then matched it with the rest of the medallion. They had all but one piece.

"That means we only need one more!" Toad exclaimed happily.

After separating from Mario's group, Kai and his friends headed for Forget-Me-Not-Valley with Jack and Celia. Every villager in Forget-Me-Not-Valley had a feast on the beach. A guy with a red suit and had was holding a glass of wine into the air. This guy was the mayor.

"I propose a toast to our new friends and heroes!" the mayor said. "To the adventurers!"

"The adventurers!" everyone cheered as they held their glasses into the air.

They all then began to feast. Kai enjoyed his meal. His stack of plates was the tallest at the whole table. After the feast, fireworks were shot over the beach. Kai and Hazel sat down together.

"Thanks, Kai," Hazel said. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be trapped."

"I couldn't have done it without the crystal Serena brought," Kai said. "Plus, I'm sure you would've done the same thing for me."

"Yeah," Hazel said.

Kai and Hazel held hands as they watched the beautiful fireworks explode over the night sky. Toad was about to walk up to them, but Serena stopped him.

"Let the two of them have their moment," Serena said.

Everyone enjoyed the fireworks for the rest of the night.


	17. Chapter 17: Mourning Kingdom

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 17: Mourning Kingdom**

With their last mission finally over, Kai and his friends returned to the guild for some good old R-and-R.

"There are my favorite money-makers," Gus said.

"Hey Gus," Kai said. "Did we get any mail while we were out?"

"In fact, you did," Gus said. "It's another mission."

"So much for some good old R-and-R," Toad said.

"What's the mission?" Zero asked as Gus handed Kai an envelope.

Kai opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. He then read it aloud.

"Dear adventurers," Kai read. "I am a maid in the kingdom of Ascantha. I need your help to restore the kingdom to its former glory. Please come here for the details of the mission."

Kai then folded the letter up.

"Well, we've got a new mission," Kai said. "Next stop, Ascantha."

That evening, they gathered their supplies, got some good sleep, and set out the following morning. After a few days worth of sailing, they finally reached the kingdom of Ascantha.

"So we just have to head to the castle, right?" Kai asked.

"Yeah," Toad said. "But it's at least a two days hike from here."

"But there's a church where we can rest at," Zero said as he looked at the map. "We can take a rest at the church and continue in the morning."

"Alright," Kai said.

They spent the day hiking to the church, which was next to the river. They spent the night in the church and left the following morning.

As they crossed the river, they heard someone call to them. They looked across the river and saw an old woman sitting in a chair outside her home.

"Would you travelers care for something to eat?" the old woman asked.

"Thanks, but we have to head to Ascantha," Kai answered.

"Alright, but come by if you need a rest," the old woman said.

So they continued towards Ascantha. As they were heading there, Hazel was telling the group what she knew about Ascantha.

"Ascantha is said to be one of the most peaceful kingdoms in all of the world," Hazel said. "I heard that the king of Ascantha made the wisest decisions ever in the…"

She stopped when they saw Ascantha. The castle was hanging black flags on the towers. When they walked inside, they saw that everyone was dressed in black.

"Either someone just died, or everyone here is Goth," Kai said.

So they split up to gather information. They met back up at the castle's door.

"By what I've heard, everyone's been like this for two years," Hazel said.

"Yeah," Toad said. "Apparently, the queen died."

"Why is everyone still mourning after two years?" Kai asked.

"Who knows?" Serena replied.

"Maybe we'll get more information on this when we meet our client," Zero said. "Let's find this person."

So the five of them entered the castle. They passed the fountain at the entrance, climbed up the stairs, and headed to the throne room. Inside was the ambassador of Ascantha. He too was wearing black.

"…Ah!" the ambassador said when he noticed Kai and his friends. "It's most unusual for us to have visitors here. Welcome to Ascantha.

"Regrettably, you find us in mourning for our late Queen, so the King is presently unavailable. I'm afraid I must request that you leave."

"If you could let us look around, we'd appreciate it," Hazel said.

"We were hired to come here by someone," Zero said. "We have the letter to prove it."

Zero handed the ambassador the letter, which he read. The ambassador than handed it back.

"Alright," he said. "You may search around for your client. After that, you should leave."

"No problem," Kai said.

They then continued to search for their mysterious client. Their search led them to the highest tower, where the king's quarters were. As they walked up, they saw a blonde-haired maid in black clothes knock on the door of the king's room.

"Are you feeling all right, Your Majesty?" she said (she spoke in a British accent). "It's me. Emma, the maid.

"I see you haven't eaten any of the lunch I brought you, Your Majesty. I'll be sure to bring you your favorite for supper…"

She then sighed sadly.

"Please, Your Majesty," she continued. "Please answer me. I just want to make sure you're all right."

There was silence.

"…Very well," she said sadly. "I'll leave you in peace. Excuse me."

She looked down at the ground as she walked past Kai and his friends, not even noticing them. She headed back downstairs.

"What was that about?" Toad asked.

"That maid sounds sad," Hazel said. "I think she really cares for the King."

"She might be our client," Zero said.

"That settles it, then," Kai said. "Let's follow her."

They then walked downstairs. When they caught up with Emma, she was talking to the ambassador.

"He's hardly eating a thing either," she said. "And I could hear him weeping all through the night yesterday. He was such a benevolent and wise king when the Queen was still alive. I'm terribly sorry I'm of so little use to him."

She looked sadder than ever.

"I see," the ambassador said. "So it continues. It must be difficult for you, Emma. But I need you to keep trying. If the King cannot recover from this, the country will fall apart.

"…I just don't know what to suggest."

Emma then turned around and saw Kai and his friends.

"Ah, hello there!" she said. "Do you seek an audience with the King of Ascantha."

"No," Zero said. "I believe we're here to help you."

Zero handed her the letter.

"So…you came!" she said. "I'm glad that you're here."

"We'll need you to tell us everything if we're to help you," Kai said.

"Everything can be explained," Emma said. "Just come back here at night."

"We might as well rest at the local inn," Zero said. "Let's get our rooms."

The five of them left the castle. As they left, Kai noticed a sign of hope on Emma's face. They rested until nightfall, than headed back into the castle. When they reached the throne room, they saw a man with blonde-hair and wearing a black king's robe sobbing into the throne.

"…Why?" he cried. "Why did you have to go to heaven and leave me all alone, my dear Sasha?"

He didn't seem to notice Kai's group.

"It's been two long years," he continued. "Time has stopped for me when you left. I'm sure my heart died with you. Just one more time, even in my dreams…

"If only I could just see you one more time.

"Without you, my crown and my throne mean nothing. I'm helpless here, left all alone. Please, my darling Sasha. Come to me one last time. If you don't, I, I…"

They began to leave the throne room. When they reached the top of the steps, they saw Emma coming upstairs. She still looked sad. She noticed Kai when she reached the top.

"…Oh!" she said as she ran up to him. "Did you meet with His Majesty in the royal suite?"

"Yeah," Kai said. "But he didn't even notice us?"

"I must explain," Emma said. "The King is refusing to speak with anyone at present. Please forgive him if he caused offence."

"No problem," Hazel said.

"You see, he's never been quite the same since Queen Sasha died two years ago," Emma continued. "If only it were possible to meet with those who've passed away. It would mean the world to the King if he could see his Queen once more."

She then looked like she just realized something.

"…You know, my grandmother used to tell me lots of stories when I was small," Emma said. "Lots of very strange stories. I'm sure there was one about a way to make any wish come true…

"It's no good, though. I just can't remember it. I'm sure she'd be happy to tell me if I went to see her, but I'm so busy with work here at the castle…

"I'm afraid I must ask you a favor. I'd like you to go and see my grandmother. She lives in a house west of here, next to a bridge."

"We've seen her!" Kai exclaimed. "The old woman near the river!"

"That's her!" Emma exclaimed. "Could you ask her to tell you the old story about how to make wishes come true? Maybe it's just a fairy tale, but if there's any chance it might be true, then I have to try and help the King. I wish I could go and ask her myself, but there's so much to do here at the castle. And I… I can't leave him on his own. I'm really counting on your help.

"I pray at church every day that the King will be happy again. Please…help me to help him…"

"How can I say no?" Kai asked. "You did hire us. We'll go see your grandmother first thing in the morning."

As Emma walked away to do more chores, Mel and Mammoth were hiding behind a pillar, listening in on the conversation.

"So something that can make wishes come true," Mammoth said. "That's it! I can use that wish to finish Kai Kamai once and for all!"

"But sir, the whole thing sounds a little farfetched," Mel said. "Are you sure that it's true?"

"Of course!" Mammoth shouted. "How dare you doubt my brilliance?! We shall follow Kai to see this old woman. We will then be the first to get that wish. Kai Kamai will soon die!"

He then laughed evilly as Mel sighed.

"This is going to end badly," Mel said.

Mammoth and Mel then left before Kai's group could leave. The following morning, Kai and his friends (as well as the hidden Mel and Mammoth) headed straight for the bridge, where Emma's grandmother, and possibly the secret to granting wishes, awaited…


	18. Chapter 18: Race to the top!

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 18: Race to the top!**

Kai and his friends finally reached their destination. As soon as they reached Emma's grandmother's house, they immediately asked her about the story about wish fulfillment.

"So you want to hear that old story," she said. "Let's see… That must be the story of that strange hill upstream of here. It's said that if you go there on the night of a full moon and wait quietly all night, a door to another world will open."

"I think the moon will be full tonight!" Hazel exclaimed.

"It's probably just a silly old fairy tale though. I'm afraid I can't tell you whether it's true or not," the old woman said. "It gets so cold and spooky up there, you see. I've never known anyone willing to stay the whole night to find out."

"We are," Kai said as he remembered Emma's sad look.

"Kai's got that 'we're going on a dangerous mission' look again," Toad said.

"It doesn't sound so bad," Serena said as she pulled out a map. "According to the map, the peak's not that high. It'll only take us about two hours to reach the top."

Kai then looked at a clock. It was 4:00 P.M.

"It'll take us an hour to reach the base," Serena said. "Then it's a two hour hike up to the top. If we take into account any breaks we might take, we should be there at 8 or 9 o'clock at the latest."

"Then it's no problem," Zero said. "Let's get moving."

"Thanks ma'am!" Kai exclaimed as they left the building.

On the roof of the cottage were Mel and Mammoth.

"Aha!" Mammoth shouted. "Now's our chance! We will race to the top and get our wish!"

"But you have to wait all night," Mel said. "It'd be a waste of energy to run to the top. We'd still have to wait."

"Do not question my orders!" Mammoth shouted. "Let's move!"

Mammoth and Mel then rushed to the mountain. Hiking alongside the river, Kai and his group hiked for about an hour before they reached a cave at the base of Wisher's Peak.

"So we just climb to the top?" Toad asked.

"That's what the old woman said," Zero said.

"It should be no problem for us!" Kai happily exclaimed.

As they moved towards the cave, Zero felt something strange.

"GET DOWN!!!" Zero shouted.

Everyone listened to Zero and ducked. A spinning, metal fan flew right over their heads. The fan turned around like a boomerang and returned to its owner. Standing behind them was another group of warriors.

One was a woman with purple hair that was tied up with two buns on the top. She wore a red, Chinese dress, and was holding the metal fan. The second member of the group was a knight wearing pure-white armor and wielding a sword. The third person was a black mage wearing a blue robe and a yellow hat. His face was hidden by his outfit. The fourth person on this team was a little girl wearing a white robe. She wielded a huge, wooden staff and had a cold look on her face. The fifth and final person was a huge, muscular man who only wore pants. He had a giant axe on his back.

"Just who the hell are you?" Kai asked.

"We are Zelgas…" the knight said.

"…Magnus…" the large guy said.

"…Mina…" the girl in the Chinese dress said.

"…Sari…" the little girl said. "And this is Riku."

The mage remained silent.

"You five must be here for the wish," Zero said.

"So are you," Zelgas shouted.

"Well, you'll have to get past us first," Hazel said.

"You five are bad people," Mina. "We will defeat you!"

"If throwing weapons that are easy to dodge is your only trick, then I'm afraid you're screwed," Serena said.

"Then I guess we'll just have to crush you!" Magnus shouted.

"Bring it on," Kai said.

The enemies charged straight for Kai and his friends. Kai's group drew their weapons in preparation for the battle. Kai and Zelgas clashed their blades. Their sword skills were almost equal. Kai blocked all of Zelgas attacks and Zelgas did the same. Their swords were locked in an endless cycle of attack, defend, and retaliation.

Mina threw her fan like a boomerang towards Serena. Serena ducked out of the way. She then threw a few needles. Mina grabbed her fan, opened it all of the way, and blocked the needles.

"This fan is made of a special metal," Mina said. "Your needles won't pierce it, but it can slice you!"

Mina continued her attack on Serena, while Serena kept looking for an opening. Magnus attack Hazel with his giant axe. Hazel used a barrier to block.

"Why do I always get the large guys?" Hazel complained.

She released her barrier and jumped out of the way to dodge the axe. She then prepared a **Gyro Sphere** spell. When her spell hit, it did nothing to Magnus.

"Such puny attacks won't harm me!" Magnus shouted.

He then swung his axe towards Hazel. Hazel jumped out of the way. Toad went one-on-one with the little girl. He launched a **Thundara** spell towards her. She just moved her staff a little. A huge barrier appeared in front of her and blocked the spell.

"So she's a White Mage," Toad thought. "It won't be easy fighting her."

Toad then ran around as he blasted spell after spell towards her. But each spell was as useless against her as the last, for her barrier moved around and blocked each attack.

Zero stood face-to-face with the Riku. Zero prepared his hand-signs.

"**Fireball Jutsu**!!!" Zero shouted.

He then launched a huge ball of fire towards the mage. Riku countered with a **Blizzaga** spell, which he cast without uttering a single spell. The two attacks clashed.

Soon, Hazel and Kai got close enough to each other to talk while fighting.

"This is getting annoying!" Hazel shouted. "Why don't you just blow them away with the **Farore's Wind**?"

"Good idea," Kai said.

Kai then knocked Zelgas' blade away. Kai then got to an angle where he could blast all five of them at once.

"Guys, move!" Kai shouted.

All of Kai's friends jumped out of the way.

"**Farore's Wind**!!!" Kai shouted.

A magical gust of wind surrounded the five other warriors, who were teleported somewhere else. When the wind was gone, the others ran up to Kai.

"Just where did you teleport them?" Serena asked.

"The other side of the mountain," Kai said.

"Why'd you do that?!" Hazel shouted. "Couldn't you have teleported them to the cottage or something?!"

"It's not that easy," Kai said. "**Farore's Wind** was meant to be a spell for allies. Not only that, there was a whole group of them. I couldn't blow them very far away."

Serena then looked at the map.

"It's no problem," Serena said. "There's no path on the other side. Kai's spell gave us about fifteen minutes worth of a head start. If we move fast, we'll get there way before them."

"Then we don't have time to lose," Zero said. "Let's get climbing."

They immediately entered the cave. The inside of the cave was like a maze.

"Great," Hazel groaned. "How do we get through this?"

"Our map only shows the outside of the mountain," Toad said.

"According to **this** map, we should go forward until we reach a left turn," Serena said.

The rest of the group turned around. Serena had picked up another map.

"Where'd you get that map?" Kai asked.

"From that guy," Serena said.

They looked towards where Serena was pointing. There was a skeleton propped up against the wall.

"YOU STOLE SOMETHING FROM A DEAD GUY?!" Toad shouted angrily.

"It's not like he's going to use it anytime soon," Serena said.

"Let's just get moving," Zero said.

Using Serena's map, they began to walk through the maze. They soon reached a three-way fork in the maze.

"Which way now?" Kai asked.

"The left and right paths are filled with traps," Serena said. "The middle path looks like the safest way."

"Ok," Kai said.

Kai walked ahead of the group as they walked down the middle path.

"There's a button on the right wall," Serena said.

"Here it is," Kai said as he pointed out the button.

"Do not press the button," Serena read.

Kai's finger had pressed the button.

"I just pressed it," Kai said sadly.

Suddenly, many arrows shot towards them. Hazel created a barrier to block all of the arrows. When the arrows stopped firing, Hazel released the spell.

"Let's keep moving," Hazel said.

"If you see a button on the left wall…" Serena began.

"I'm not pushing it," Kai said.

"…don't walk past it without pressing it," Serena finished.

Kai stopped in his tracks.

"I walked passed it," Kai said sadly.

A huge pile of boulders fell from the ceiling and fell onto Kai. After clearing the boulders, they helped Kai up.

"From now on, let me finish what I'm reading," Serena said.

"Ok," Kai said weakly.

They continued through the maze. Soon, they reached a room filled with dead bodies. On the other side of the large room was a door leading outside.

"That's it!" Serena shouted.

"To the top!" Kai shouted.

Suddenly, all of the dead bodies began to move. They rose up and stood in the way.

"Zombies!" Kai shouted.

"I've got this," Hazel said.

She walked ahead of the rest of the group.

"_Return to the land of the dead, where you belong_," Hazel chanted. "**Holy**!!!"

Hazel launched a huge, beam of holy energy towards the zombies, destroying them all.

"That was easy," Hazel said.

"Sometimes, it's really good having Hazel on our side," Toad said.

"She does kick butt when it comes to the undead," Kai said.

They then walked to the outside. Once outside, they were on a path that led straight to the top.

"The path is straight to the top!" Kai happily exclaimed. "Nothing could go wrong!"

He took three steps forward. Suddenly, a huge, blue monster with six eyes landed in front of them.

"Of course," Kai said.

The monster then swung its giant arm towards Kai and his friends.

"Great, how could things get worse?" Kai asked.

Suddenly, a huge metal fan flew right above them. The five adventurers from earlier had emerged from the cave.

"Damn it!" Kai shouted. "I forgot that we cleared all of the obstacles for them!"

"How dare you send us away?!" Zelgas shouted. "Prepare to die!"

Meanwhile, Mel and Mammoth were watching from the safety of some nearby bushes.

"Shouldn't we head up while they're fighting, sir?" Mel asked.

"No way!" Mammoth said. "I want to watch Kai get massacred by that demon and those other guys!"

"I knew I should've been a dentist," Mel whispered to himself.

Kai fought the demon while fighting off Zelgas' attacks. With the new distraction, Kai and his friends were having a hard time fighting off the enemies.

"There's no way I'll be able to blow them all away," Kai said.

More demons flew in. Soon, everyone was either fighting a demon or someone on the opposite team. The demons attacked everyone.

"This is getting us nowhere," Toad said when he got near Kai.

"I've got a plan," Kai said. "Guys, get over here!"

Kai's friends ran up to Kai and Toad. When they were all near him, Kai pulled out his bag of bomb-rocks.

"Hold on, just how many bombs are in that bag?!" Toad asked.

"It's full," Kai said. "Now watch this."

Kai used a simple **Fire** spell to light the tip of the bag. He then threw it into the mass of demons and adventurers.

"BARRIER NOW, HAZEL!!!" Kai shouted.

Hazel surrounded the five of them with a barrier. Kai backed this barrier up with **Nayru's Love**. The bag blew up like a nuke when it hit the bad guys. All of them, including Mel and Mammoth, were blown away by the enormous explosion. When the dust cloud from the explosion faded, Kai and Hazel released their barriers. Except for the area their barriers surrounded, everything had been toasted by the bomb.

"Whoa," Toad said.

"Let's head to the top," Kai said. "The wish awaits!"

Kai and his friends ran up to the top of the hill. They reached the top just as the sun was setting. At the top of the hill were ruins of an ancient building that apparently sat on top of the peak. All that was left of the building was a window and a wall that sat opposite of the window. They sat and waited as the full moon rose into the air. Hours passed by, and nothing happened.

"This is boring," Toad said. "Nothing's happening."

"Check out the window's shadow," Kai said.

The shadow was inching closer and closer towards the wall.

"A moving shadow," Toad said. "I guess anything's entertaining in a boring place like this."

The shadow rose onto the wall and stopped once it became the size of a door. Magical sparkles bounced from the wall.

"That's odd," Serena said.

They walked up to the wall. Kai pushed the shadow, and it opened like a door. The five of them walked inside. On the other side of the door was a magical fountain below them with pillars that created a path to a huge pillar. The huge pillar had a small building on it.

"This is like another world," Toad said.

They walked from pillar to pillar as they made their way to the large pillar. They then entered the building. Inside the one-room building was a guy with long, blue hair, pointy ears like an elf, a crystal tied to his head, and a harp. He played a single note on his harp.

"I am Ishmahri, keeper of the Moonshadow Land," he said. "Welcome to my realm."

Kai and his friends looked around the room. The room was filled with many different harps or other magical items. They immediately walked up to Ishmahri.

"Many moons have waxed and waned since human foot last trod this earth," Ishmahri said. "Weary travelers, I welcome you now to the Land of the Moonshadow.

"Enlighten me, what desire opened the Moonshadow Window on this night? No words…your shoes can tell the tale."

"Our shoes?" Kai asked.

Ishmahri played another note on his harp. Kai's shoes began to glow with a bright light. Ishmahri listened to the light as if it was talking.

"…So, Pavan longs to be reunited with his dearly beloved, Sasha," Ishmahri said.

Kai and his friends were surprised by what Ishmahri just said.

"You stand amazed, mouths agape in wonderment," Ishmahri said. "Ah, forgive me. I have yet to uncloud your eyes.

"Children of the light of day. Do you believe that memories are yours alone? Your clothes, houses, tables and chairs…

"The sky, the land… They too remember each passing day. Silently, they sleep in a dream world of memories. The moon's light may give shape to these dreams…these memories.

"I cannot stir this daughter of the sun from her eternal sleep, but perhaps I can end your friend's waking nightmare. Lead me to the castle. Lead me to the scene of Pavan's misery."

Kai and his friends then led Ishmahri back to the Moonshadow Window. The second they stepped through it, they were teleported straight to Ascantha castle.

"How'd we…" Toad began.

"Such is the power of the Moonshadow," Ishmahri said.

"Don't question the man," Zero said. "He seems to know what he's talking about."

They ran up to the throne room, where the king was sobbing into the throne. Ishmahri then played a note on his harp. King Pavan then noticed Kai, his friends, and Ishmahri.

"Oh, grieving soul," Ishmahri said. "May the moon's rays trace the scenes enacted here long ago…"

Ishmahri then began to play a tune with his harp. Suddenly, what looked like the soul of a young woman walking or dancing through the throne room. She had light-brown hair and a golden and light-purple gown. Pavan followed the soul until it stopped moving.

"What is this?" Pavan asked. "A dream? An illusion? No… No… I remember this…you…"

He reached his hand out towards the spirit, but his hand passed through her. She then disappeared.

"…is wrong?" her voice echoed. "What is wrong?"

Pavan turned around, and she was there.

"Sasha!" Pavan exclaimed. "I've missed you so! These two years, I've thought of nothing but you. Ever since you passed away…"

"You're not still fretting about this morning's missive, are you?" Sasha asked. "You mustn't. You made the right decision. You're always so lenient with people. But sometimes you need to be firm too. That's a king's duty. Everybody believes in you. You must stand tall and proud. Ascantha is your country.

"Oh yes! I have news! The innkeeper's dog has had a puppy! He wants us to think of a name!"

Pavan turned around and was surprised by what he saw. It was a former him sitting in his throne. He was wearing a green and gold outfit with a red cape. Sasha was standing next to him.

"Is that…me?" the real Pavan asked. "Yes, I remember this. It was the spring before last. So this is a memory from the past?"

"A puppy, you say?" the past Pavan said. "What do you think? No doubt you've already thought of a good name for it."

"It's a secret," Sasha giggled.

"Why?" Pavan asked. "If you've thought of a name, then I'm sure it's splendid. Tell me!"

"Surely you have a suggestion too?" Sasha asked. "A name for this puppy?"

"But I'm sure yours…" Pavan began.

Sasha stopped him.

"Shush now, Pavan," Sasha said. "I think any name you came up with would be simply perfect. My dear King. You're a wise a kind man. You should follow your own instincts.

"I was planning to use the name you thought of. That's all I'd decided."

The real Pavan then walked over to his throne just as the memory faded. Pavan then sat in his throne.

"Ah, yes," Pavan said. "She was always like that, always giving me so much encouragement.

"Sasha… Why…"

He started to cry again.

"Sasha," his voice echoed from elsewhere. "Why are you always so strong?"

Pavan saw his memory self and Sasha again.

"Because my mother gives me strength," Sasha answered.

"Your mother?" the dream Pavan asked. "But she passed away years ago."

"I never told you, but I was very timid as a child, so weak and afraid," Sasha said. "And everyday, my mother would try hard to encourage me. When she died, I was so sad and lonely. But then I realized…if I went back to my old weak self, I would have nothing left of my mother at all. It would be just as if she had never existed.

"I realized that I had to be strong. That I must remember her words of encouragement and everything she taught me. That way, she'll live on inside me for always. Forever."

"Sasha," the real Pavan said. "You're right. I should be more like you."

Sasha then disappeared and reappeared on the stairs leading up.

"Shall we go out onto the terrace?" Sasha asked. "The weather's so nice today. It would be lovely to enjoy the breeze together."

The real Pavan and the illusion Pavan combined as Pavan grabbed Sasha's hand. The two of them then walked up the stairs together. Kai, his friends, and Ishmahri followed them. Pavan and Sasha stood outside together as the sun began to rise on the horizon.

"Look!" Sasha exclaimed. "Your country stretches before us as far as the eye can see! Oh! Ascantha is so beautiful!"

"Yes," Pavan said. "Beautiful, Sasha… So beautiful."

"My darling King," Sasha said. "For people to live their lives happily, you must be strong…"

She then began to fade away. As Pavan reached out to grab his wife, she faded into the light. Then she was gone.

"I remember," Pavan said. "Everything you ever told me lives on inside my heart. Forgive me, Sasha. I've finally opened my eyes. I'm sorry for being so sad and lonely.

"At last…I've finally awoken from my long and terrible nightmare."

That afternoon, the townspeople watched in excitement as the black flags were finally being put away, and in their place, the King's men placed beautiful flags of crimson and gold.

Back inside the castle, King Pavan and our five heroes were enjoying a feast fit for a king. Pavan was back in his old clothes. Kai was enjoying the feast the most; they had to skip dinner and breakfast because of their climb.

"Never again will I forget the things Sasha told me," Pavan said. "It felt like a dream, but I believe in what I saw. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It was no problem," Hazel said.

"Thanks to you and Emma, I've finally woken up from an unbearable nightmare," Pavan continued. "Now I can be a proper king to my people again. I cannot thank you enough. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. I swear I will do anything in my power to repay you. Anything at all I can do to help."

"When you say anything…" Serena began to ask greedily.

Zero elbowed Serena in the stomach before she could say more.

"…I'm just glad to see you happy," Serena said painfully.

After the feast, Kai and his friends began to leave the castle. Pavan and Emma were saying good-bye. Emma was in a pink maid's outfit.

"Farewell, my friends," Pavan said. "May fortune ride with you on your continuing journey. I hope we will meet again soon."

Kai and his friends then left Ascantha. As they walked on, Toad was wondering something.

"Whatever happened to Ishmahri?" Toad asked. "He disappeared into thin air."

"Who knows?" Hazel asked. "I guess he just went home."

"I hope we meet him again," Kai said. "He really helped us out."

"Alright," Toad said. "Let's get back to the guild for some well deserved rest."

"Good idea," Serena said.

"You know what," Kai said. "I have the strange feeling that we forgot something. But I don't know what."

"If you can't remember, it can't be very important," Hazel said. "Let's just go home."

They then began to head back to the ship. Meanwhile, Mammoth, Mel, and the other adventuring team were all sitting at the top of Wisher's Peak.

"This is stupid," Sari said.

"It's all that swordsman's fault," Zelgas said. "I'll get him back for this!"

While this group had their conversation, Mel and Mammoth were having their own discussion.

"Sir, why are we sitting up here," Mel said.

"We're going to sit up here all day if we have to!" Mammoth shouted. "I'm getting my wish, damn it!"

"But the moon won't even be full tonight," Mel said. "The spell won't work."

So they all sat at the peak, defeated.

(For those of you who don't know, I got the button scene from Slayers Next. It's one of my favorite anime series.)


	19. Chapter 19: Nightmare of Darkness

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 19: Nightmare of Darkness**

Kai and his friends finally got the rest they deserved. Business had been extremely slow for the past week. While his friends relaxed, Kai couldn't help but feel that something bad would happen soon.

One night, everyone was sleeping soundly. In his dream, Kai was in the middle of a huge field. Suddenly, the sky was filled with dark clouds. Red lightning was sparking rapidly in the sky. Kai then saw three, large red eyes staring at him. Kai turned around so he wouldn't look at the eyes. Behind him was a man that Kai had never seen before. He had long, silver hair, blue eyes, and an extremely long sword. Sprouting from his back was one, black wing.

Kai felt only fear from this man. Kai couldn't even lift his arms to grab his sword. The man walked closer and closer to Kai.

"No matter how hard you fight, you cannot defeat the darkness," the man said.

He then turned around. Behind him were Kai's friends. The man then charged forward. He then began to attack Kai's friends. First, he killed Serena. He then sliced Zero in half. He then destroyed Toad. Kai could only watch as his friends were massacred one-by-one.

The man then walked over to the crying Hazel.

"How does it feel…to see your friends die?" the man asked.

"NO!!!" Kai shouted.

But he was too late. The man drove his long sword straight through Hazel. The light from her eyes drained away.

Kai then woke up. He was drenched with sweat and was breathing heavily. He saw that all of his friends were alright.

The following morning, Kai described his dream to his friends.

"Are you telling me that three giant eyes were staring at you," Zero said. "Then some guy came by and killed us all?"

"Yeah," Kai said.

"Just what did this guy look like?" Serena asked.

"If you tell us, we might be able to get ready," Hazel said.

"Well, he had long, silver hair, a giant katana, and blue eyes that pierced through you like he could see everything," Kai said. "Oh, and he had a black wing."

As he said this, Toad had a look of total fear on his face. Hazel noticed this.

"Toad, are you alright?" Hazel asked.

"Um…yeah," Toad said. "I'm…fine. Just a bit…tired."

"You went to bed before all of us," Serena said. "How can you be tired?"

"Well…um…I'll go check with Gus for any missions," Toad said.

Toad then immediately left the table to go see Gus.

"It couldn't be, could it?" Toad thought. "I was sure he was dead."

Meanwhile, in a dark room, three men wearing dark cloaks had gathered around a red orb.

"Now that all of the shards have been gathered, it's time we battle Kai," one of them said.

"Are you sure it's time?" a second man asked. "Is he ready?"

"There hasn't been an obstacle that has been able to defeat him," the third man said. "He even found the five shards of the medallion that we didn't find. If he isn't ready now, he won't ever be."

"But I'm not sure…" the second man said.

"Do not worry," another voice said.

The three men looked towards where the fourth voice came from. The man was hidden in darkness. All that could be seen were his piercing, blue eyes.

"Master!" the second man exclaimed.

"It is time we test his strength," the fourth man said in a menacing voice. "You'll go."

He pointed towards the man with blood-red eyes and silver hair.

"Fine," he said. "But how do we lure him out?"

"We'll use bait," the master said.

He threw the other man the final shard of the Divine Medallion.

"This is the perfect bait," the master said.

"Are you sure he'll…" the other man asked.

"I'm sure he'll be there," the master said.

The master then completely disappeared. Meanwhile, Kai and his friends gathered at the guild. The moment they stepped inside, Gus ran up to them.

"Where have you guys been all day?" Gus asked. "A mission came in five hours ago."

"Why didn't you give the mission to someone else while we were gone?" Hazel asked.

"The girl specifically asked for Kai," Gus said.

"How do you know it's a woman?" Zero asked.

"She's been waiting in my office," Gus answered. "But let me tell ya, she's kinda freaky. She just sits there, staring into space. After asking for you, she just stopped talking. She just sat there like a doll."

"That's odd," Zero said. "But a mission's a mission."

"As long as we get paid, she can stare into space for days," Serena said. "Let's go see her."

The five of them walked into Gus's office. Inside was a young, beautiful, blonde-haired girl with blue eyes. She wore a long, blue gown. For some reason, the moment he saw her, Kai instantly remembered the piercing blue eyes of the man from his dream. Kai was frozen in place by fear.

"Kai, are you alright?" Hazel asked.

"Um…what?" Kai asked. "Oh…yeah. I'm fine. Anyway, what's your name ma'am?"

"My name is Cheryl," the girl said.

"So, what do you need us to do?" Zero asked.

"In my hometown is a huge mansion owned by an evil lord," Cheryl said. "Every year, he orders every family in town to give him payment in exchange for the land. Whenever someone can't make the payment, his guards drag the family away.

"My family couldn't make our annual payment, so the guards took us away. I was able to escape from them, but my family…"

She sounded like she was about to cry.

"It's no problem," Serena said.

Cheryl stopped herself.

"There's one more thing you have to know," she continued. "I have heard a rumor that the lord carries a strange object that gives him his power."

"Can you describe the object?" Zero asked.

"I have heard that it looks like a piece of something," she answered.

"It has to be a Divine Shard!" Kai exclaimed.

"Does that mean that the guy is…the one that killed Tsubasa's grandmother?!" Kai exclaimed.

"It has to be," Hazel said.

"Then we'll get this done even faster," Kai said. "I'm taking this guy down for what he's done!"

Without anyone noticing, Cheryl smiled maliciously.

Later, Kai and his friends were about to set sail. They were making sure that everything on the S.S. Mushroom was ship-shape.

"Alright," Toad said. "One last check of the rudder, and we're good to…"

Suddenly, he saw a shadow of a dragon under him.

"Zero, I hope that's your dragon," Toad said.

Toad turned around. Tsubasa was standing right behind him.

"Hi," Tsubasa suddenly said.

Toad screamed and fell on his back. The rest of them rushed to the deck.

"Toad, what's…" Kai began. "Tsubasa?!"

Tsubasa noticed Kai.

"Hey," Tsubasa said. "It's been a while."

They all ran up to Tsubasa.

"Why are you on our ship?" Hazel asked.

"I heard about your mission," Tsubasa said. "I'm coming with you, no matter what."

Everyone else was silent.

"What's wrong?" Tsubasa said.

"What if you…get mad and turn into a dragon again?" Hazel asked.

"It's no problem," Tsubasa said. "My training partner and I have been practicing. I can now control my dragon form better."

"Partner?" Kai asked.

Zero felt a presence.

"I'll be right back," Zero said.

Zero then went down below deck. Down there was a familiar kunoichi.

"Erika," Zero said.

Erika turned towards Zero.

"Hey," Erika said.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't throw you off for trespassing?" Zero asked.

"Because you'll need my help," Erika said. "You've probably heard this, but Tsubasa and I have been training together. He may not admit it, but he still sometimes loses control when in Dragon form. Using a special jutsu, I can transform him back to human form. So if you kick me off, you'll have to risk fighting off a deadly dragon. All I'll require for a fee is half of the reward you get."

"I despise you," Zero growled. "But alright. You have a deal."

Zero and Erika shook hands. And so, the seven of them sailed off towards Cheryl's hometown, Leos Town.

Meanwhile, three of the four darks ones had gathered together. They were the leader and the two that weren't ordered to battle Kai. They were watching Kai from the red orb.

"Now to see if Kai can handle the Puppet-Master," the leader said.

A few days later, they arrived in Leos Town. There was nobody in town. Every building had been destroyed except for a huge mansion.

"Whoa," Kai said.

"I guess nobody paid their annual dues," Hazel said.

"I feel that there's more to this," Zero said.

"I agree," Erika said.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps marching towards them.

"Sounds like an army," Zero said. "Be on your guard."

Everyone drew their weapons. They all watched in different directions so that nothing could sneak up on them. Soon, they saw dozens of soldiers completely covered in armor marching towards them. Nothing about them could be seen through the armor.

"A bunch of guards," Tsubasa said. "This will be fun. Kai and I can take out the whole lot of them."

"Overconfidence is a terrible thing," Hazel said. "You two need to conserve your strength for a later fight."

"True," Kai said.

They all then began to battle the army. Every soldier wielded a weapon of some kind. The arsenal included bows and arrows, swords, lances, axes, and more.

Kai was surrounded by warriors wielding swords. Kai blocked or redirected every attack and countered with his own sword. Tsubasa ruthlessly blew every enemy away, relying on his strength as his defense.

Hazel blocked arrows with her surrounding shield. She then countered with her hammer, making sure not to use any more magic than what was necessary.

Toad fought off larger enemies using his powerful spells. The swift ones were harder for him because of their dodging capabilities, but he still managed to blow them away.

Zero, Serena, and Erika fought off lancers together with their swift attacks. Zero fought using his katanas instead of his jutsu. Serena threw some needles, but the needles didn't pierce the enemies' armor.

"Their armor is thick," Serena said.

She instead fought using basic kicks and punches, being sure to dodge attacks that came her way. One enemy caught her off guard and lifted his axe above her. Before he could swing, however, Erika knocked the weapon out of his hands and knocked him down.

No matter how many enemies they destroyed, however, more and more appeared in their places.

"Just how many guys are there?!" Kai complained.

Toad shot a **Blizzaga** spell off target. Instead of hitting the enemies' chest, he knocked off the guy's head. When the helmet blew off, there was nothing there.

"I BLEW OFF HIS HEAD!!!" Toad shouted.

The armor picked up the helmet and put it back on.

"There's nobody in the armor," Erika said.

"It's a soul puppet," Zero said.

"Using a living soul as a weapon is a horrible thing," Hazel said.

She then began to focus her energy.

"_May you return to the world where you belong_," Hazel chanted. "**Holy**!!!"

She launched a huge beam of holy energy that blasted through all of the armor. She accomplished this by spinning while casting the spell. When she was through, all of the armor puppets were dead.

"What happened?" Kai asked.

"That was a soul puppet," Hazel said. "It's an archaic form of dark magic where someone uses the soul of a being as a puppet. The soul is then put into armor or statues and controlled."

"That's horrible!" Serena shouted.

"That just proves something," Kai said. "We have to stop this guy."

"But how can he use such powerful magic?" Hazel asked. "I've never heard of anyone being able to control more than ten soul puppets at one time. Either there's more than one person at work or…"

"He's using the Divine Medallion shard, right?" Erika asked.

"Of course," Hazel said.

"Then there's only one course of action," Kai said. "Next stop: the spooky mansion."

The seven of them then rushed towards the mansion. As they ran, Kai thought more about the whole "soul puppet" thing.


	20. Chapter 20: The Puppet Master

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 20: The Puppet Master**

Our seven heroes made it to the mansion. The walls looked worn and the surrounding plants were dead. The place looked like it had been abandoned for a few years.

"For a rich lord, he doesn't take care of his home very much," Kai said.

"It looks better than the other houses around here," Toad said.

Serena looked around. She examined the front entrance and the sides of the building.

"There are no traps or guards," Serena said. "Getting in should be a breeze."

"It smells like a set-up," Zero said. "If someone sent all of those guards to attack us, why would they leave their home unguarded…unless they want us to be there?"

"Hazel," Kai said.

"What?" Hazel asked.

"I've been thinking about the whole 'soul puppet' thing," Kai said. "Can someone put a soul in a dead body?"

"I'm not sure," Hazel answered. "Why?"

"What if our client was already dead?" Kai asked.

"That's impossible," Hazel said. "Soul puppets cannot talk. Our client was clearly speaking to us."

"This whole 'soul puppet' thing is too confusing," Kai said. "So I guess our client was brainwashed."

"What makes you so sure?" Toad asked.

"I've just got a really bad feeling about all of this," Kai answered.

"We have no time for that," Zero said. "It doesn't matter whether our client is brainwashed or not, we still have to find out what happened to this town."

"I'm interested in that as well," Erika said. "I want to see how exactly this guy controls that many soul puppets at once."

They then stepped into the mansion. The inside of the mansion was huge. To the left and right were doors that led to different rooms. Ahead of them were another door and two staircases next to it. The staircase to the right led to the second floor and the one to the right headed further up to the third floor.

"We should split up into separate groups," Zero said. "Here's how we'll do this:

"Kai and Tsubasa will examine this floor. Erika and I will take the second floor. Hazel, Toad, and Serena will take the third floor."

"Right," everyone agreed.

They all then split up into their separate groups. Kai and Tsubasa started by heading to a room on the left. The door led to a hallway with paintings along the walls.

"We have to keep our guard up," Tsubasa said. "If we ran into that many guards in town, who knows how many are in here."

"Right," Kai said.

Erika and Zero had gone up the stairs to the right. They entered the first room they found. It was a large room filled with musical instruments. There were several doors leading to other rooms in this room.

"Look around for any traps," Zero said. "We have to disarm anything."

"Question: why did you put me in your group?" Erika asked.

"I believe that your skills could be useful," Zero said. "Your senses are about as keen as my own. That can come in handy."

"Once again, why didn't you want me to use my 'keen senses' for any of the other groups," Erika asked.

"We don't have time for that," Zero said. "Let's keep looking."

Erika and Zero continued looking for any traps or clues. Meanwhile, Hazel, Toad, and Serena checked out the third floor. This floor held a treasure room filled with many different artifacts. Serena, of course, was overjoyed.

"Look at all of this treasure!" Serena exclaimed happily. "This place is filled with ancient treasures from Hyrule, the Mushroom Kingdom, and more!"

As Serena swam through the treasure, Hazel looked at a worried-looking Toad.

"What's wrong, Toad?" Hazel asked. "Usually, you yell at Serena for doing stuff like that. What's wrong."

"What…oh…um…Serena!" Toad stuttered. "Put that stuff down!"

"Why?" Serena asked.

"There could be a trap in that pile," Hazel replied.

"If there was a trap, I think that I'd know," Serena said. "I'm an expert thief. I'm no amateur."

Serena continued digging. She then picked up a painting.

"This is odd," Serena said. "Hazel, Toad, come here!"

"If you're trying to show us something that's worth a king's ransom, then put it back," Hazel said.

"Seriously," Serena said. "I think it's important."

Serena showed Toad and Hazel the painting.

"I don't believe it!" Hazel exclaimed.

"We have to tell Kai immediately!" Toad shouted.

The room then began to quake. Suddenly, a large golem made of solid gold rose into the air.

"I think that painting was booby-trapped," Toad said.

"That's a golem I don't mind running into!" Serena shouted greedily. "Let's demolish it and sell it for some quick cash!"

Serena jumped into the air. She then began to punch and kick the golem. She didn't even scratch the creature. The golem then knocked her out of the air. Toad then tried a **Blizzara** spell. The spell merely bounced off.

"Hazel, you could help!" Toad shouted.

"We'll need back-up if we're going to beat this thing," Hazel said.

Hazel then prepared a **Gyro Sphere** in her hand. She then slammed it into the ground, created a huge crack. They all then fell down to the second floor.

They landed in the room that Erika and Zero were in. The golem had followed them.

"The…poor…treasure…" Serena groaned.

"We don't have time for that!" Hazel shouted.

"So you need help," Zero said.

"What gave you that idea?" Hazel asked sarcastically. "The golem or the giant hole in the ceiling?!"

"Fine then," Zero said.

Zero then formed some hand-signs.

"**Fireball Jutsu**!" Zero shouted as he released a huge fireball.

The fireball bounced off of the golem.

"Magic doesn't work," Toad said. "If it did, we wouldn't need your help."

"There has to be a weak spot on this thing somewhere," Erika said. "Zero, let's find it!"

Zero then began to form more hand-signs. He then created five shadow clones. They all then began to look for a weak spot. Erika bit her right thumb and formed some hand-signs.

"**Summoning Jutsu**!" Erika shouted as she slammed her right hand into the ground.

In a cloud of smoke, a dozen slimes appeared in the room.

"Distract the golem!" Erika shouted.

The slimes then started to tackle the golem. While they did no damage, the golem did turn all of its attention towards them. Zero and Erika then began to examine the golem. Zero then found a small crack on the back of its head.

"That's it," Zero thought.

He then climbed up there. He slammed a kunai knife with a paper-bomb tied around it into the crack. When Zero jumped off, the bomb began to spark and exploded. The golem roared in pain as it fell to the ground. It broke into pieces upon impact.

"Who set off a trap?" Zero asked.

Toad pointed towards Serena.

"Hey!" Serena shouted. "At least I have a reason!"

"Let me see," Zero said.

Serena handed Zero the painting. Erika and Zero looked at the painting. It showed their client as well as her mother and father.

"Does this mean that **she** owns this building?" Zero asked.

"Why would she lie about something like that?" Erika asked.

"Check out the bottom of the painting," Hazel said. "It shows the date when the painting was made."

Zero looked at the bottom of the painting. The year shown was 1457.

"That's about 550 years ago!" Erika shouted.

"That's right," Hazel said. "Which proves that Kai was right. She was a soul puppet."

"But who can make a soul puppet talk?" Serena asked.

"Whoever he is, he sent us here for a reason," Zero said. "I doubt it was to be crushed by a golem."

"But if it wasn't the golem, then that means…" Toad began.

"Kai and Tsubasa are in danger!" Hazel shouted.

The hallway that Kai and Tsubasa took led to another set of stairs that led downwards into a basement.

"I guess we should examine it," Kai said.

Kai and Tsubasa began to walk down the stairs. As they moved closer to the bottom, Kai felt a strange energy in the air. They eventually reached the bottom. At the bottom of the stairs was a black door with red markings on it. They walked through the door. The door led to a large room filled with ancient markings. After the two of them took three steps into the room, metal bars appeared in front of the only door out.

"Why does that happen to me all of the time?" Kai asked.

Suddenly, a malicious laughter was heard in the room.

"What is that?" Kai asked.

"I recognize that voice," Tsubasa growled.

The man with silver hair and blood-red hair wearing a black robe floated down in front of them. He was wielding a large staff.

"Welcome, Kai Kamai," the man said calmly. "And it seems that the Dragovian came with you."

"You!" Tsubasa shouted. "I've been training to defeat you! Now it's time to put my training to the test!"

"Tsubasa, don't!" Kai shouted.

But he was too late. Tsubasa had transformed into the hybrid state. He then flew straight towards the man.

"You truly are impatient," the man said. "You attack before we get through with the introductions."

The man lifted his staff into the air. Suddenly, magical strings grabbed Tsubasa. The man then lifted Tsubasa into the air and slammed him into the ground.

"My name is Jacobis," the man said. "I am better known as 'Puppet Master'. By now, you've realized why."

Kai then helped Tsubasa stand up. The two of them drew their swords.

"When I tell you to stop, stop," Kai said.

"Before I kill you, I'll tell you how my magic works," Puppet Master said. "I form strings with my magic power."

He then formed strings of magic in his hands.

"Then I use my magic to awaken souls of the dead," Puppet Master said.

His strings then shot out and hit many suits of armor. The armored warriors came to life.

"Now then, Kai Kamai," Puppet Master said. "Let the games begin."

He laughed maniacally as he sent his army of steel towards the two swordsmen.


	21. Chapter 21: The Leader Revealed

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 21: The Leader Revealed**

Puppet Master launched the wave of soldiers straight for Kai and Tsubasa. Kai then activated the second Avian stage and grew the pure-white wings. He and Tsubasa then began to fight off the enemies. Kai sliced his enemies upwards to slice away a group of enemies. After slicing away several groups, the enemies surrounded him. Kai then performed a spin slash to blow them all away.

Tsubasa blew away enemies with his magic power. He then spun around, creating a twister of fire that charred enemies into ashes. The more that Kai and Tsubasa destroyed, however, the more that Puppet Master created.

"We have to focus all of our attacks on the main guy," Kai said.

"Right," Tsubasa agreed. "I'll give you covering attacks."

Kai then charged straight for Puppet Master. Tsubasa blew away any enemies that charged at Kai. When Kai reached the Puppet Master, he quickly slashed before his target could react. When he attacked, the soldiers shook a bit.

"Attacking the puppeteer weakens the puppets," Tsubasa thought. "Nice."

Puppet Master got to his feet, but Kai was right on his tail.

"Damn it!" Puppet Master thought. "I can't block his attacks while focusing on my puppets! I'll have to release the spell."

The Puppet Master released the spell just in time to block Kai's next attack with his staff. He then saw that Tsubasa was charging right for him.

"Did you forget that there are two of us?!" Tsubasa shouted. "**Dragon Wave**!!!"

Tsubasa began to spin around as he flew like a missile towards Puppet Master. A wave of heat surrounded him. He was now a flaming projectile heading straight for Puppet Master. He hit and blew Puppet Master away.

"That's what I call teamwork!" Kai exclaimed.

Puppet Master got to his feet and grinned. He then began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Kai asked.

"Did you fools really think that I was using my full power?" Puppet Master asked. "I was merely testing you."

"What do you…" Tsubasa asked.

Before he could finish, he felt something shoot straight through his stomach like a spear. He coughed up blood and managed to look down. One of the strings of energy had pierced right through him.

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Did you think that my strings were only for controlling things?" Puppet Master asked. "They can be used for weapons that can pierce through anything. Now let's play a game of tag!"

The Puppet Master continued to launch strings of energy towards Kai and Tsubasa. Dodging attacks was the only thing they could do at this point.

"That's right," Puppet Master gloated. "Dance, my puppets! Dance!"

Kai knew that dodging was getting them nowhere. So he withdrew his sword and stood still.

"You idiot!" Tsubasa shouted. "You're gonna get killed!"

Puppet Master combined his strings into one and shot it straight towards Kai. When the strings stopped, only a little blood splattered. Kai had grabbed the string with his left hand, which was now covered in blood.

"That thing is sharper than a sword!" Puppet Master exclaimed. "How did you catch that in your hand?!"

Kai then focused his magical energy into his left hand. He launched a **Din's Fire** straight across the string.

"Damn it!" Puppet Master shouted. "I can't release the spell while he's holding it!"

Puppet Master was engulfed in the flames. Kai kept a hold on the strings.

"Now, Tsubasa!" Kai shouted.

"Gotcha," Tsubasa understood.

Tsubasa then charged his energy.

"**DRAGON SOUL**!!!" Tsubasa shouted as he charged straight towards Puppet Master.

His energy surrounded him in the shape of a dragon. The dragon's mouth surrounded the Puppet Master. The mouth then closed and the dragon exploded.

When the explosion faded, Puppet Master was on his knees. His power had been drained. Kai and Tsubasa walked up to him.

"Is your hand alright?" Tsubasa asked.

"I'll be fine," Kai said.

Kai had already begun to cast a **Cure** spell on his left hand. The wound was slowly healing.

"Do you think you've won?" Puppet Master weakly said.

"Seeing how you're on your knees and you're in pain…" Kai began.

"This battle was merely a test," Puppet Master said. "I have to say, you're not what I expected."

"What are you talking about?!" Kai shouted. "You're knocking on death's door and you're telling me that I'm weak?!"

"I don't see what Master Sephiroth sees in you," Puppet Master said. "But it doesn't matter. My mission is done."

"Who's Sephiroth?!" Kai shouted.

Puppet Master took his staff and knocked Kai away. He then shoved the staff straight through his own heart and killed himself.

"What the?!" Tsubasa shouted. "The idiot killed himself?!"

Kai didn't say anything. The bars in front of the exit disappeared. Hazel and the rest of the group rushed into the room.

"Kai, we're here to…" Toad began.

He then saw the dead body.

"Nevermind," Toad said.

"You took his staff and killed him with it," Erika asked. "Crude, but effective."

"We didn't do it," Tsubasa said. "He killed himself."

"He first said something about a guy named Sephiroth," Kai said. "That's all we got out of him."

Toad had a look of total despair on his face. His whole body was trembling like crazy.

"Impossible," Toad said fearfully. "He's dead."

Everyone looked at him.

"Toad, what are you talking about?" Hazel asked.

"I'll…I'll explain on the ship," Toad said. "I…I can't say anything right now."

Serena examined the body. She found the Divine Shard, but she felt something strange about it.

"What's wrong?" Zero asked.

"There's something different about this piece," Serena said.

She handed it to Zero, who immediately examined it. He then examined the real medallion shards that they had.

"It's fake," Zero said. "The energy signal is nearly the same, but the shard is definitely fake. Someone definitely copied the real shard and lured us here with it."

"So we went on a wild goose chase?!" Serena shouted. "That sucks!"

"Well, we can do nothing for now," Hazel said. "Let's all head back to the ship."

The seven of them then left the room. Meanwhile, the three dark ones were watching them from their lair.

"It seems that the secrets are out," one of them said. "Master Sephiroth, they know who you are."

Suddenly, the man from Kai's nightmare came out of the shadows.

"Perfect," he said. "It's just as I planned."

Later that evening, they were all on the ship, discussing what had happened at the mansion.

"So our client was really dead?" Kai asked. "No way!"

"Yeah," Hazel said. "Serena's the one who found out."

"My guess is that Puppet Master came in and killed everyone before we even got here," Erika said. "Then he used their souls to create soul puppets. He then made up that story that dragged us here, using the dead girl as a pawn."

"That's it in a nutshell," Zero said. "Now one mystery remains unsolved: Who is Sephiroth?"

They all looked towards Toad.

"Do you mind telling us?" Hazel asked.

"No," Toad said. "I'm ready. I was hoping that he was truly dead, but I've been fearing this ever since Kai mentioned his nightmare."

"Just tell us who Sephiroth is," Zero said.

"Fine," Toad said. "It all happened ten years ago. I was a little mushroom at the time, but I knew what was going on…"

A flashback began. The skies were blackened by storm clouds.

"Sephiroth is a dark swordsman who appeared out of nowhere," Toad narrated. "He massacred person after person. It didn't matter who it was: man, woman, or child. He just killed anyone. He was a bloodthirsty murderer.

"One day, a group of heroes was formed to stop him. This team was formed from the greatest warriors of the time. The team consisted of Mario, who's magical might was stronger than anyone's; Luigi, who had sword skills like no other; Sonic, who was a speed demon; a mysterious swordsman named Cloud; and their leader, a younger Toadsworth."

"Toadsworth was seriously a strong warrior?!" Kai exclaimed. "I just thought he was a normal old guy."

"He was the strongest warrior in his time," Toad said. "Well, as I was saying…"

The flashback continued.

"The five warriors came face-to-face with Sephiroth," Toad continued. "No matter what they threw at him, however, Sephiroth fought them off with the skill of a god. Only Toadsworth and the mysterious Cloud really stood a chance.

"Toadsworth mastered a technique known as the Multi-Strength."

In the flashback, it showed the younger Toadsworth focusing his power. Suddenly, a golden energy surrounded him.

"He didn't wield a weapon," Toad said. "He didn't need one. His fists were the only weapons he needed."

Toadsworth began punching and kicking towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth blocked the attacks as well as he could. Cloud appeared behind him and attacked.

"Cloud was an expert swordsman," Toad continued. "His skills were probably as good, if not better, than yours, Kai. Together, the five warriors managed to defeat Sephiroth."

The flashback now showed Sephiroth on his knees with the five warriors surrounding him.

"Toadsworth finished with a powerful attack," Toad said. "He believed that the move finished him."

Toadsworth then charged all of his golden power into his right palm. He then launched a beam of golden energy that engulfed Sephiroth.

"Using all of the energy that remained in his body, he seemingly destroyed Sephiroth," Toad said. "He lost his powers, but his team was victorious."

"Whoa," Kai said.

The flashback had ended.

"I've been told that story more times than I can remember," Toad said. "I remember that time because I always worried about him when he was gone."

"I remember now," Hazel said. "Ten years ago, my brother made sure that my sisters and I were all inside the house at all times. I wondered why."

"Yeah," Zero said. "Master Neo made sure I did no outdoor training at that time as well. I guess he didn't feel that even our hidden village was safe."

"I truly believed he was dead," Toad said. "Now that we know he's alive, I'm afraid we're screwed."

"Why?" Kai asked. "He can't possibly be that strong, can he?"

"Kai, let me put it this way," Toad said. "With Toadsworth at his full strength, he could blow away the Lord of Darkness like he was nothing. The same thing goes with Ganondorf! Imagine those two bad-guys, the ones we could barely beat, only combined an multiplied by the hundreds. That's how strong Sephiroth is."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed.

"Why do you think everyone feared Sephiroth?" Toad asked. "He could slay armies with a single swing of his sword! Nobody stood in his way. It was said that his power was only dwarfed by the King of all Evil and the great God. It took a sacrifice of all of Toadsworth's just to get rid of him temporarily! This won't be a walk in the park!"

Everyone else felt a pulse of total fear in the air.

"Do you see why we can't take risks with this guy?" Toad asked.

"I can't believe it," Kai thought. "Someone that strong actually exists?"

"Hold on," Tsubasa said. "If this Sephiroth guy truly is that strong, then how come he hasn't attacked already? Why is he waiting and sending his goons after us?"

"Who knows," Toad said. "But one thing's for sure. If he's targeting us…"

"Then he's after the Divine Medallion," Hazel said. "He must want its power for himself."

"Then we know what to do," Kai said. "Stopping that guy is our only chance. We have to make sure he doesn't get his hands on the rest of the shards. If that means we have to fight him ourselves, then so be it."

Kai held out his hand in the center of the group.

"Is everyone with me?" Kai asked.

"If you have a death wish, so do I," Zero said.

He put his hand on top of Kai's.

"I'll follow you to the end," Hazel said.

Her hand was the next one in.

"You guys are crazy bastards," Serena said. "Why not? It's not like I have anything better to do."

Her hand was after Hazel's.

"Kai, I've followed you to hell and back," Toad said. "I'm in."

Toad put his hand on top.

"You guys in?" Kai asked.

"We'll pass," Erika said. "We'll work on the sidelines, but you five are the true heroes. We'll be here, though, if you need us."

"Yeah," Tsubasa said. "Just make sure that you kill this Sephiroth guy. If you don't, I'll take him myself."

"Then it's settled," Kai said. "Sephiroth, I hope you're ready. The dream-team is after you!"

They all rose their hands in the air. The ship sailed into the sunset as renewed hope filled the air.


	22. Chapter 22: Shipwreck

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 22: Shipwreck**

"DAMN IT!!!" Kai and his friends could hear coming from Gus's office.

They had gotten back at the guild the previous day. Gus has been continually complaining about something since they got back.

"What the hell is he shouting about?" Zero asked.

"Nobody's sure," Hazel said. "Let's go check it out."

The five of them then left their table and walked to Gus's office. Once inside, they saw that Gus was pounding on the monitor of a computer.

"What's going on?" Kai asked.

"For the past few days, I've been trying to get this stupid thing to work!" Gus complained.

"Why do you need a computer?" Hazel asked.

"A friend of mine suggested it," Gus answered. "He said that it will increase my business if I start using e-mail. Then he said a bunch of computer stuff that I didn't understand."

"Let's see if I can help," Hazel said.

Hazel quickly flipped through a nearby computer guide. She then began to hit different keys on the computer's keyboard. Suddenly, the computer turned on and began to work flawlessly.

"How did you…" Gus began.

"Give Hazel some instructions, and she'll know it verbatim within a few minutes," Zero interrupted.

"Anyway, the computer works now," Hazel said.

Suddenly, a ping was heard from the computer, and a window appeared on the screen.

"Wow, you work fast," Gus said. "I've already got mail."

"I didn't do that," Hazel said.

They looked at the window that popped up. It was a message.

"Contacting Kai Kamai," Hazel read.

Kai paid deeper attention to the message.

"It's been a while," Hazel continued. "We've continued our research of the materialization program. We are near completion, but we still need to examine a human code. Please come as soon as you get this message. _Glide_."

"Glide?" Serena asked.

"He's an old friend of ours from the internet," Toad said. "I can't believe they did it!"

"Didn't that Shademan guy steal the research?" Zero asked.

"They must've gotten it back," Kai said. "Or they re-made it."

"I'm confused," Hazel said.

"I forgot!" Kai exclaimed. "You never came with us to the internet! It happened before we met you. I remember that Toad was wrestling with an Aipom when we got stuck there."

"I can't believe you had to bring that back up!" Toad shouted. "That was just a stupid mistake!"

"A stupid mistake that almost got us stuck on the internet," Zero said.

"I said I was sorry," Toad groaned.

"I'd like to meet this friend of yours," Hazel said. "But how do we get on the internet?"

"We could go back to F-Zero," Kai suggested.

"Good idea!" Toad exclaimed.

"We'll need to get a monkey to wrestle Toad to get us on there, though," Serena joked.

"DAMN IT!" Toad shouted. "I said I was sorry!"

They all left the room.

"You guys should be careful!" Gus shouted. "I heard that there was a storm today!"

"We'll be fine," Kai said.

Later that day, their ship was caught in a huge storm. The waves were pounding the ship as Toad tried to keep control.

"Kai, grab a hold of that line!" Toad shouted. "Zero, put away the sails! Hurry! We have to be quick!"

Suddenly, a huge tidal wave appeared. It was coming straight towards them.

"CRAP!!!" Toad shouted.

"We're gonna need a bigger boat," Kai said.

"Everyone get inside!" Zero shouted.

Everyone began to run inside. Kai, who was the last one it, quickly shut the door. Then, the wave landed straight on top of the S.S. Mushroom. Tons of water smashed the ship into pieces. As water poured into the room, Kai and his friends were swept away. Soon, they were all underwater. Kai couldn't tell which way was up or down. He was at the mercy of the waves. He soon passed out from lack of air.

Soon, everything was darkness.

"Am…I dead?" Kai thought. "Why is everything dark?"

He then saw light beginning to form.

"A light!" Kai exclaimed.

The light became a blurry figure of a person. When the blurry light focused, a girl with short, brunette hair and brown eyes was standing over him.

"Good, you're awake," she said. "Doctor, come here! He's awake!"

Kai took a good look at his surroundings when the girl left. He was in a hospital room. Soon, the girl from earlier came back in, as well as a guy. The girl was wearing a light-blue and purple dress with a yellow and white apron and a dark-blue bow. The guy with her, presumed to be a doctor, had black hair and black eyes. He wore a white suit, black shoes, and a stethoscope.

"I'm Dr. Trent," the man said. "I'm going to do a quick examination, and we'll be through here. Stick out your tongue and say 'ahh'."

Kai did just as the doctor asked. The doctor took out a mini flashlight and shone light down Kai's throat. He then used his stethoscope to examine Kai's heartbeat.

"You are fine," Dr. Trent said. "You just need some rest. So what's your name?"

"Kai Kamai," Kai said.

"Good to meet you," Dr. Trent said as he shook Kai's hand. "As I said earlier, my name's Trent. This here is my assistant, Elli."

"Hello," Elli said as she shook Kai's hand.

"Where am I?" Kai asked.

"In my hospital," Trent said. "Elli found you on the beach near some driftwood."

"Yeah, I remember there was a shipwreck," Kai said. "Wait a minute! My friends! Was anyone else at the beach?!"

"I don't think so," Elli said. "I only saw you."

"Damn it!" Kai shouted as he shot out of bed.

"Get back here!" Trent shouted. "You need rest!"

Kai ran through an unknown town as he searched for the shore. The sun was getting lower as he ran. Elli and Trent chased him as villagers stared at them. He reached the beach. There, he only found driftwood.

Elli and Trent then caught up to him as Kai fell to his knees in shock.

"When I say stop, I mean stop!" Trent shouted.

Kai was silent.

"Hazel…Toad…Zero…Serena," Kai thought. "Where are you guys?"

"Are you alright?" Elli asked.

"No," Kai answered. "I'm not alright. My ship's gone and my friends are missing. How can I be alright?"

"The best thing for you right now is some rest," Trent said. "You should spend the night in my hospital. The sun's about to set, so let's hurry."

So Kai spent the night in the hospital, but he couldn't sleep. He was too worried about his friends.

The following morning, Kai ate breakfast with Trent and Elli. It was a small breakfast, only consisting of eggs and bacon.

"Alright," Trent said. "After you finish breakfast, you should be fine to search."

"Maybe they're not even here," Kai said. "What if they're lost on some sort of island. I have no ship to search for them with."

"I remember something," Elli said.

Kai and Trent looked towards her.

"A girl moved into town recently," Elli said. "She works near the beach in this huge building. She's a shipbuilder, but she has no customers. I'm sure she can build something for you."

Kai immediately stood up.

"Then it's settled," Kai said. "I've got to find this shipbuilder."

Kai ran out of the room. He immediately ran back in and continued to eat his breakfast.

After breakfast, Kai found his way to the shipbuilder's building. The building was extremely large. It was made of redwood and looked like it was the largest building in town.

Kai knocked on the door.

"Coming!" a female voice said from inside the building.

The door soon swung open. At the door was a girl with short, brown hair and large glasses. She wore a yellow shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. Her eyes were green.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"A ship!" Kai said happily.

The girl took one look at Kai's stupid grin.

"I'm sorry, but I only build ships for adventurers," the girl said.

"I am an adventurer," Kai said. "My team and I were on the ocean when we were hit by a storm. I washed up here, don't know where my friends are, and need a ship."

"If you're an adventurer, then prove it," the girl said. "I, Amelia Woodrow, will battle you in one-on-one combat."

Amelia then pulled out a gigantic wrench the size of a sword.

"You're going to fight me…with a wrench?" Kai asked.

"Here's the deal," Amelia said. "If you win, I'll build you a ship. I'll even throw in the upgrade of your choice. If you lose, however, you must pay me double the price of a single ship without a ship!"

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

"How else am I supposed to make some money?" Amelia asked. "Do we have a deal?"

Kai then shook Amelia's hand. She immediately pulled Kai into the workshop. Once inside, she pressed a large, red button. Suddenly, the building expanded, the roof opened, and the room became a huge arena.

"Let's get this started!" Amelia shouted.

She charged forward. When she got close, she swung her giant wrench like a sword. Kai blocked the technique with his own sword. Soon, they were clashing blades. Kai soon knocked Amelia backwards. Amelia then threw her wrench towards Kai like a boomerang. Kai dodged the wrench, but it immediately turned around and came back towards him. Kai fell to the ground and the wrench flew about an inch above him, thanking whatever force allowed him to see the wrench returning.

Amelia caught her wrench and charged straight for Kai. Kai rolled on the ground to dodge Amelia's slams until he could get back up quickly. He then began to fight back. Their weapons clashed over and over. Soon, they jumped backwards and paused to catch their breath.

"You're…good…" Amelia said.

"You too," Kai said.

Kai and Amelia charged forward once more. Amelia, once again, threw her wrench like a boomerang. This time, however, instead of dodging, Kai used **Nayru's Love** to create a barrier. Not expecting this, Amelia was struck by the wrench when it bounced straight at her. She then slammed against the opposite wall. Before she knew it, Kai was charging straight at her. Amelia grabbed her wrench, but Kai knocked it out of her hands. He then pointed his sword towards her.

"It's over," Kai said.

He then held out his right hand and helped her stand up.

"How did you do that?" Amelia asked.

"Training, I guess," Kai said. "I usually fight all sorts of guys."

"Seeing how strong you are…I guess I can build you a ship," Amelia said.

Amelia rushed to her work table. She then looked in drawers for something.

"So…what stuff can I put on a ship?" Kai asked.

"Don't bother," Amelia said excitedly. "I've already got the perfect design for you. I've been designing this particular ship for a while. I won't even charge you for all of the weapons I'm installing."

She then pulled out a large blue-print.

"This is it!" Amelia exclaimed. "According to these blue-prints, we'll need certain ores that can only be found at the bottom of a nearby mine. I have to warn you, though, there are plenty of monsters in the mine."

"As long as I get this ship finished, I don't care," Kai said. "I have to start my search for my friends ASAP!"

Amelia smiled.

"Perfect," Amelia said. "Just what I wanted to hear! We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. You should rest for the rest of the day. I'll get started on the ship with the components I do have."

She pulled out a map of the town. She then took a marker and drew a mark on it.

"Meet me in that location early tomorrow morning," Amelia said while pointing to the mark. "We'll conquer that cave before dinner!"

Kai then left to get a room in the nearby inn. He did it! He would get a ship soon! As he tried to fall asleep, he prayed that his friends were safe.


	23. Chapter 23: The Enchanted Sword

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 23: The Enchanted Sword**

Before the sun was even up, Kai left the inn and headed straight for the nearby mine. Even though he knew that Amelia wouldn't be there yet, since it was so early, he just wanted to wait there.

But when he got there, Amelia was already waiting for him. She had brought mining equipment, helmets, and more.

"Where the hell have you been?" Amelia asked. "I've been waiting here for an hour already!"

Kai was silenced by shock.

"Hurry up!" Amelia shouted as she walked into the mine.

Kai, using a small **Fire** spell as a light, led the way through the cave.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Amelia asked.

"My friend, Toad, taught me this trick," Kai said. "He's an expert at black magic. It takes patience to exert just enough energy for a light without creating an attack."

Suddenly, a black-feathered chicken walked into their path. Kai just kinda stared at the chicken as it clucked.

"What's with the chicken?" Kai asked.

"I don't know," Amelia said. "Maybe it's one of the monsters in this mine."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kai shouted. "I've seen things in a toilet scarier than that!"

The chicken clucked louder than ever and charged straight for Kai. It began to peck him like crazy, much to his own pain.

"Maybe you shouldn't have insulted it," Amelia said.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU STUPID BIRD!!!" Kai shouted.

He blasted the chicken with a **Din's Fire**. The chicken hit the opposite wall. It then crowed straight into the air.

"That can't be good," Kai said.

Suddenly, a dozen of the black chickens appeared out of nowhere. They all glared at Kai and Amelia.

"Should we run?" Amelia asked.

Kai nodded fearfully. They then began to run through the mine, the chickens close behind. Kai and Amelia didn't know where they were running and didn't care. Before they knew it, they fell into a hole in the floor. As they fell, Kai didn't know if there was an end to the fall. But the question was answered when Kai felt a huge "THUD". Immediately afterwards, Kai felt someone land on top of him.

"Sorry," Amelia said through the darkness.

"It wouldn't be as bad if we weren't blind!" Kai shouted.

He used his magic to create another light.

"Is there any way you can hold that thing without concentrating?" Amelia asked.

"Wait a minute!" Kai exclaimed. "Yeah!"

Kai pulled out what looked like a bulb-less flashlight. He placed the ball of light into this object. Now the flashlight began to glow like a lantern, filling the room with light.

"That worked," Amelia said.

They looked around the room. The walls of this room were covered with ancient writing.

"Hazel would be in heaven here," Kai said.

"We can't stop here," Amelia said.

Amelia pulled out a huge map.

"According to my information, we are on the 125th floor," Amelia said.

"WE FELL THAT FAR?!" Kai exclaimed.

"We're nowhere near the bottom," Amelia said. "If we keep moving, however, we should be there soon."

"How many floors are there?" Kai asked.

"255," Amelia answered.

"This mission is slowly becoming a living hell," Kai groaned.

They continued through the mine.

"Question: if we saw those monsters earlier, do you think that there might be tougher monsters down here?" Kai asked.

"Maybe," Amelia said.

Suddenly, a black bull appeared out of nowhere.

"Yep," Amelia said.

Suddenly, they were being chased by the bull. After a bit of running, Kai turned around, jumped onto the bull, and began to ride it. The bull jumped and bucked back and forth trying to remove the rider.

"What the heck are you doing?" Amelia asked.

"Don't worry!" Kai shouted. "I've done this stuff before!"

Kai then held onto the bull as it bucked. Soon, Kai punched it straight on the head, knocking it out. He then hopped off.

"How did you…" Amelia asked.

"I rode a mechanical bull back in my world," Kai said.

Amelia began to open her mouth for another question.

"I'll explain later," Kai said, already knowing that the question was about his other world.

Kai and Amelia continued through the mine. As they traversed the cave, they met different troubles. Among these troubles included an army of black bugs, a flock of evil chickens, and more evil cows. Soon, they made it to the 250th floor. On this floor was a huge hole.

"This hole will probably take us to the final floor," Amelia said. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

Amelia and Kai jumped into the hole. The fall this time was much shorter. They even landed on something soft…and feathery.

"That was a nice landing," Amelia said.

"I agree," Kai said. "But what's with this giant feather pad?"

Suddenly, they saw what they landed on. It was a giant bird-like creature with arms, as well as legs and wings. It was about three times Kai's size and roared with a piercing screech.

Kai and Amelia screamed as they ran from the creature. It had claws on its hand. It began to swipe its claws at Kai and Amelia. Kai blocked the swipes with his sword, backing up further as he did this. The creature then knocked Kai to the side.

"If that's how you want to play it, so be it!" Kai shouted.

He began to focus his energy, but nothing happened.

"What the?!" Kai thought. "Where are my wings?!"

Amelia ran further away from the creature as it came towards her. It led her into a corner, making it to where she was unable to escape.

"Leave her alone!" Kai shouted.

He charged forward and slashed at the creature. This only seemed to make it angrier. It got a clean swipe at Kai, knocking him against a wall. Kai then began to heal his slash wounds with a **Cure** spell.

"I'm running low on energy," Kai thought. "Why can't I bring out my wings?"

The creature then charged right for Kai while Kai was healing himself. Kai picked up his sword and blocked the attack. Amelia was frozen with fear as she watched Kai get slaughtered by the monster. She soon got control back and picked up her wrench. She threw the wrench, but she missed. The monster didn't pay her any attention, however. It was too busy with its new target.

No matter how much danger Kai was in. His wings just wouldn't grow. He could call upon his secret energy.

"What's going on?!" Kai thought. "Why can't I bring out my power?! I'm going to die!"

Suddenly, the last sentence echoed in his head. Images of his friends began to flash in his head.

"I…can't give up," Kai said. "Not until I find them."

The creature lunged at Kai once more.

"No!!!" Amelia cried.

Right before the creature hit, it was stopped by some invisible force. It then roared in pain as its claw began to bleed. Kai was shocked by what had happened. The same invisible energy shot into the room once more. It pierced the creature, immediately killing it. Once they were sure that the monster was dead, Kai and Amelia stood up.

"What was that?" Amelia asked.

"I'm not sure," Kai said. "But I think it came from this way."

Kai then led Amelia to where he felt the energy come from. There was nothing there but a wall.

"There's nothing there," Amelia said.

"No," Kai argued. "I feel something here."

Kai held out his right hand towards the wall. Out of nowhere, a door appeared on the wall.

"Whoa!" Amelia exclaimed.

Kai and Amelia stepped through the door. On the other side was a rusty-looking, silver sword lying on a rock. It was about the same size as Kai's sword and looked like it was made hundreds of years ago. The sword's handle, though completely covered in dirt, looked as if it was once a golden color.

"That thing looks legendary," Amelia said. "It could be worth something good."

"Serena will flip out when she sees this," Kai said.

He grabbed the sword. Suddenly, it began to glow with a golden light. Kai's body was soon filled with the same light. He could feel something filling him.

"What's going on?!" Amelia asked.

Suddenly, the energy exploded from inside him, filling the room with a blinding light. When the light faded, Kai's rainbow wings had grown on his back. He had reached the third Avian stage. His sword had been replaced by the older sword, but the older sword looked as if it had been forged just recently. The large, silver blade was shining brightly, and the golden handle was a beautiful sight.

"What's with the wings?!" Amelia shouted in fear.

"_You have awakened_," a voice echoed in the room.

Kai and Amelia looked for the source of the voice.

"_Let the power of this Legendary Blade fill your soul_," the voice continued.

"Legendary Blade?" Kai asked as he drew the sword.

He stared at his new weapon. He could definitely feel something coming from the sword.

Kai's wings then receded into his body.

"I…don't know what's going on," Amelia said. "But we should find the ore we need and get out of here before anything else tries to kill us."

Amelia handed Kai some tools and they began their dig. Before they knew it, they found plenty of ores.

"Alright," Amelia said. "Now how do we get out of here."

Amelia looked upwards.

"We certainly can't go that way," Amelia said. "Too many monsters."

"Let me try something," Kai said.

He began to focus his powers. He then pointed his right palm towards the ground in between himself and Amelia.

"**Farore's Wind**!!!" Kai shouted.

A huge gust of magic wing surrounded Kai and Amelia. In an instant, they were teleported outside of the mine.

"How…did…you…" Amelia began.

"I'm not sure," Kai answered. "I've never been able to send that spell that far before. I guess I really did get stronger."

"I guess it doesn't matter now," Amelia said.

She looked upwards. The sun was setting.

"You'd be best to go back to the inn," Amelia said. "We'll begin working on the ship in the morning."

Kai then walked back to the inn. When he got there, Elli and Dr. Trent were waiting for him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kai asked.

"Several guys came to our hospital looking for you," Elli answered. "They're waiting for you there."

Elli and Trent led Kai back to the hospital. He took a step inside and a smile grew on his face.

"KAI!!!" Hazel and Toad shouted as they ran up to Kai.

They gave him a huge hug when they got to him.

"Hazel!" Kai shouted. "Toad! You guy's are alright!"

"We landed on a fishing island after the wave hit," Hazel said. "From there, we borrowed a boat and searched around. We couldn't find Zero or Serena, but we heard about a guy with a sword and purple eyes here!"

"Since we didn't know anyone else like that, we knew it was you!" Toad exclaimed happily.

"This is great!" Kai said. "Now we just have to find Zero and Serena! But first, we have a ship to build."

Toad and Hazel looked confused, but it didn't matter at this point. Kai had been reunited with two of his friends. Two down, two to go. Where were Zero and Serena? Were they alright? Will Kai's new strength prove useful in finding them?


	24. Chapter 24: The Enemy is a Friend?

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 24: The Enemy is a Friend?**

Kai, Hazel, Toad, and Amelia were busy working on the new ship. Toad and Hazel were creating magical weapons, while Kai carried parts to specific locations as described by Amelia.

"So, just who is this girl?" Toad asked Kai.

"She happens to be a shipbuilder," Kai said. "It took a bit of convincing, but I got her to build me a ship."

"Yeah, but look at the stuff she's using," Toad said. "These metals are light-weight, yet hard enough to withstand the strongest of attacks. And the wood-choices…they're unusual, but still excellent. She has more building knowledge than anyone I know."

"I guess she has experience or something," Kai said.

"Anything involving building or technology, and I'm your gal," Amelia said.

Toad and Kai jumped when Amelia had appeared out of nowhere and said this.

"Besides, aren't you two supposed to be working?" Amelia asked. "Stop sitting on your butts and do some work!"

Kai and Toad immediately got back to work on the ship. After the first day's work, they were half-way done.

"Let's finish this tomorrow," Amelia said. "That way, we can set sail the next day."

"Ok," Kai, Toad, and Hazel agreed.

Toad then noticed Kai's sword.

"Kai, what's with the sword?" Toad asked.

Hazel then saw the sword as well.

"When Amelia and I went digging for metals, I found this thing," Kai said. "Somehow, it combined with my own sword to…"

Hazel let out a loud gasp of astonishment. She immediately got out a book from her backpack. She flipped the pages as fast as lightning until she reached the one she was looking for. She then looked back at the sword, then at the page, then back at the sword again.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Uh…a sword?" Kai asked.

"That is the legendary blade, Excalibur!" Hazel answered. "The blade that is said to have been missing for centuries!!!"

"Just how much do you know about it?" Toad asked.

Amelia walked up to them in interest.

"After Kai learned the **Gigaslash**, I did some research on it," Hazel said. "There wasn't much information, but I did come up with this. The Gigaslash was made by a swordsman named Arthur do defeat the powerful dragon Bahamut."

"Bahamut?" Kai asked.

"I forgot that you didn't know, Kai," Toad said. "It is said that centuries ago, there was a destructive dragon named Bahamut who was only stopped by a swordsman named Arthur. But I didn't know that Arthur came up with the **Gigaslash**."

"It's really quite amazing," Hazel said. "What's more, Arthur apparently made the **Gigaslash** much stronger when he originally created it, but he divided its power in half after its completion."

"If he really had that much power, why did he do that?" Amelia asked.

"Nobody knows," Hazel answered.

"Anyway, you guys had better get to bed," Amelia said. "We have work to do in the morning."

So after another day's work, they were finished. The new ship stood tall in the docks of the town. A large wooden ship, about the size of the S.S. Mushroom, with three silver, magic cannons on each side of it. The ship itself was painted red with blue along the top edge. It had a large mast with a blank sail.

"COOL!!!" Kai, Toad, and Hazel exclaimed.

"You three did some good work," Amelia said. "The ship itself is large enough to hold ten people. It contains a kitchen, a dining room, a training room, and a library. On the top is a garden, where you can grow crops along the way. The body of the ship is powerful enough to withstand attacks from a dragon army."

"AMAZING!!!" Kai, Toad, and Hazel exclaimed.

"Enjoy your new ship," Amelia said.

Kai turned to face Toad and Hazel.

"Now that we have our ship, it's time to find Zero and Serena!" Kai happily said.

Hazel and Toad agreed.

"Thanks, Amelia," Kai said. "I guess this is farewe…"

"What are you talking about?" Amelia asked. "According to what you've told me, you're on your way to F-Zero. That place has the world's largest super-computer. If it's about ships or technology, I can't get enough!"

"What about the shop?" Kai asked.

"I'm closing it," Amelia said. "Besides you, there's nobody here worthy of a ship. Since hundreds upon hundreds of people actually gather to F-Zero, I'll kill two birds with one stone by going there."

"That makes sense," Hazel said.

"Then you've got yourself a temporary teammate," Amelia said as she held her hand out to Kai.

Kai shook her hand.

"Alright then!" Amelia shouted. "We sail at dawn!"

The following morning, Trent and Elli waved good-bye as Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Amelia sailed away from port. Soon, the island was out of sight.

"So where do we go first?" Kai asked.

"Toad and I did some information seeking before we left the island," Hazel said. "By what I understand, in the time we've been building the ship, Zero and Serena had landed on this island…"

Hazel pointed on an island on the map.

"…and began to sail southeast from there," Hazel finished.

"And that means?" Kai asked.

"I took a look at what islands are southeast from that island," Hazel said. "By what I can tell, they were heading for F-Zero."

"Of course," Toad said. "That was where we were going in the first place. Maybe they decided to meet up with us there."

"That's a good theory," Amelia said.

"Then we know where to go!" Kai exclaimed. "Next stop: F-Zero!"

So the four of them continued their journey until they finally reached F-Zero. The racetracks were roaring with the noise of hover-cars rushing across the roads. The crowds were cheering as their favorite racers shot by.

"Now we need to somehow find Zero and Serena," Toad said.

"Maybe Captain Falcon knows something," Kai said. "Let's…"

"YOU KNOW CAPTAIN FALCON?!" Amelia shouted.

"Uh…I guess," Kai said.

"I can't believe it!" Amelia screamed.

"Yeah, Kai," Hazel said. "Why didn't you tell us that you knew Captain Falcon?"

"You didn't ask," Kai said. "Right now, we have to get moving and find him."

"He's probably racing right now," Toad said. "Let's got to the stadium."

"We won't get in without a ticket," Amelia said.

"Well," Kai said.

Kai and Toad dug into their backpacks. They pulled out two VIP tickets. Amelia and Hazel just stared at them.

"After saving the stadium and its audience from near destruction, Captain Falcon gave us these things," Kai said.

"They say that these things are lifetime tickets and that each one is good for two people," Toad read. "We all can get in."

"Yay!" Amelia screamed happily.

The four of them then entered the stadium and walked to the VIP seats. After showing their tickets, the four of them sat down and watched the race.

Kai and his friends cheered when the Blue Falcon became the first care to pass by the finish-line. Captain Falcon then stepped out of his car. He then looked towards the crowd and waved. The crowd then cheered happily. Captain Falcon then saw Kai and Toad and recognized them immediately.

Later that day, Captain Falcon met up with Kai's group just outside of the stadium.

"It's been a while, my friends," Captain Falcon said.

"Too long," Kai said.

The two of them shook hands. Captain Falcon then shook Toad's hand.

"So, two questions: where's Zero, and who are these girls that are with you?" Captain Falcon asked.

"Well, these two are Hazel and Amelia," Kai said. "And we wanted to ask you about Zero."

Kai and Toad explained the whole story.

"So Zero and this 'Serena' girl went missing," Captain Falcon said.

"Yeah," Kai said. "We kinda need your…"

"Excuse me," Amelia said. "I was hoping…could you show me the Blue Falcon?"

"Uh…sure," Captain Falcon said. "It's right over there."

He then handed Amelia the keys. Amelia then immediately rushed over to the Blue Falcon.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Hazel asked.

"If she's Kai's ally, then I trust her," Captain Falcon said. "Anyway, do you need my help?"

"Of course," Kai said.

"Well, I don't know where Zero is, but I might be able to help," Captain Falcon said. "Let's go to the Computer Room."

"Come on, Amelia!" Toad shouted.

Amelia was looking in the hood of Captain Falcon's car.

"Do we have to go?" Amelia groaned.

"You can play later!" Kai shouted.

Captain Falcon led them back to the Computer Room. The computer itself had grown larger and more complex. Amelia looked as if she had just gotten home after years.

"This place is amazing!" Amelia exclaimed.

"I can use the computer to track down Zero," Captain Falcon. "You said that he might be in the area. Using the satellites that are hooked up to the computer, I might be able to…"

As Captain Falcon continued typing, the door to the room opened. A recognizable person was standing in the door way.

"Colonel?!" Kai exclaimed.

Colonel was somehow out of the computer and standing before them.

"Who's Colonel?" Hazel asked.

"He's an old pal of ours," Toad said. "Hey there, Colonel!"

Toad walked forward, but Colonel held out his sword towards him.

"If you're looking for a handshake, you might want to use the other hand," Toad said.

Hazel saw Colonel's front foot move to where Colonel could charge forward.

"TOAD, MOVE!!!" Hazel shouted.

Toad jumped out of the way just in time as Colonel charged forward to stab him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Toad exclaimed.

"You five cannot be allowed to live," Colonel said.

"You're joking, right?" Toad asked. "Buddy? Pal?"

Colonel charged forward again. Kai shoved Toad out of the way. Colonel's blade hit Kai's shoulder, but the attack wasn't fatal, of course. Kai's shoulder, however, was bleeding horribly.

Captain Falcon then focused energy into his right hand.

"**Falcon Punch**!" Captain Falcon shouted.

He charged for Colonel and punched towards him. Colonel dodged the attack and ran away. Hazel began to cure Kai's wound.

"Why did he attack us?" Toad asked.

"And how is he out of the internet?" Kai asked painfully.

Hazel finished fixing Kai's shoulder.

"It's strange," Kai said. "Did Glide finish his research?"

"Maybe," Hazel said.

"We've got to find out what's going on," Kai said. "I'm sure Colonel wouldn't attack us without a reason. Sorry, Captain Falcon. Before we search for Zero, we first have to find out what's going on."

"I understand," Captain Falcon said. "But I'm not exactly sure how to materialize you."

"I might be able to help," Amelia said. "Get out of the way."

Amelia began to click the keys on the keyboard wildly. She then hit the 'enter' key. Suddenly, three tiles on the floor began to glow.

"You guys can step onto those tiles," Amelia said. "Get moving. I'll stay here in order to get you back."

"And I'll search for Colonel," Captain Falcon said. "I'll also keep an eye out for Zero."

"Thanks," Kai said. "Alright, guys. Next stop, the internet!"

Kai, Toad, and Hazel stepped onto the tiles and disappeared in a flash of golden light.


	25. Chapter 25: Cybeasts

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 25: Cybeasts**

Kai, Toad, and Hazel appeared in the internet in a flash of golden light. It was just as Kai remembered it: the streets flashed with different-colored lights and the backgrounds were covered with streams of data. Hazel was in awe at what she was seeing.

"So this is the internet?" Hazel asked. "Amazing!"

"Alright," Kai said. "We have to find Megaman and ask him about what's going on with Colonel."

Suddenly, the sky grew darker and lightning could be heard.

"Is there supposed to be a storm on the internet?" Hazel asked.

"I'm not sure," Toad said. "But the source is coming from over there!"

Toad pointed towards a place where purple lightning was shooting up.

"Let's go!" Kai shouted.

Kai, Toad, and Hazel ran to that area. There was a giant clown-like navi with four arms and a fat body.

"Now to summon the power of the Cybeasts," the clown-navi said.

He held his arms up into the air. Suddenly, two strange spirits appeared out of nowhere. One was crimson and looked like a falcon and the other was blue and looked like a wolf.

"Good," the clown said.

He then opened up his chest and absorbed the falcon spirit.

"Now for the other," the clown said.

"Hold it right there!" Kai shouted.

Kai, Hazel, and Toad ran up to the clown.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you'd better stop!" Kai shouted.

"It seems some navis decided to go where they aren't wanted," the clown said. "I don't have time to play."

The clown raised his arms in preparation for an attack. Suddenly, the wolf spirit roared in anger.

"Crap!" the clown shouted. "I forgot about him!"

"Circusman!" a familiar voice shouted.

Kai turned around to see Megaman running up to them.

"Megaman!" Kai exclaimed happily.

"I don't have time for this!" Circusman shouted. "I'm getting out of here!"

Circusman then disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"He got away!" Megaman groaned. "Kai, it's good to see you, but we have something bigger on our hands."

"Do you mean that wolf thing?" Kai asked.

"Yeah," Megaman said. "I'm not sure what it is myself, but it's definitely powerful."

The wolf roared once more and released a wave of energy. Kai, Hazel, Toad, and Megaman looked as if they were trying to hold their ground against a hurricane. Megaman then felt a huge, jolt of pain shoot through him.

"Megaman!" Toad shouted.

"**Nayru's Love**!" Kai shouted.

He created a huge, diamond-shaped barrier that surrounded the four of them. Megaman fell to the ground.

"What…kind of power….was that?" Megaman asked.

Megaman began to spark with energy of some sort.

"Hazel, can you fix him?" Kai asked.

"Alright," Hazel said. "Just keep that barrier up."

Hazel began to focus spell energy into Megaman. The sparks that surrounded him started to fade.

"I…can't…hold…much…longer!" Kai shouted.

He screamed in pain as the barrier grew weaker and weaker. Suddenly, the wolf disappeared. The sky returned to its normal color, and Kai released the barrier. He was sweating crazily and breathing hard.

"Man that was power," Kai said. "I felt like I was fighting Ganondorf's power again."

"But that thing didn't just die," Hazel said. "It's running wild all over the internet."

"Then we have to find it," Kai said. "I think that something like this is more important than worrying about Colonel."

Toad and Hazel helped Megaman to stand.

"Your friend is right," Megaman said. "That thing is definitely running wild all over the place. There has to be some way to stop it."

Kai thought about this for a moment.

"I've got an idea!" Kai exclaimed. "Megaman, do you have e-mail capabilities?"

Meanwhile, in the computer room of F-Zero, Amelia was taking a nap. Suddenly, the computer pinged, and Amelia fell over in her chair. She then got back up and clicked on the computer. An e-mail popped up.

"Amelia," Amelia read. "Something strange is going on here. We need your help."

Amelia then began clicking wildly on the keyboard.

"E-mails aren't as good as actual communication," Amelia said. "And…connect!"

Back on the internet, Kai and his friends were walking down the road. Suddenly, a strange, static noise could be heard.

"What's that noise?!" Hazel shouted.

"K…an…ou…e?" Amelia's voice said through the static.

"Amelia?" Kai asked.

"Sorry," Amelia's voice said as the static faded. "It took a good amount of effort to get a clean connection."

"This is cool!" Kai exclaimed.

"What did you mean by 'you needed my help'?" Amelia asked.

Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Megaman explained the story.

"So you need a way to beat a monster program?" Amelia asked. "Something as powerful as what you're saying will be too strong for any program I can create."

"Seriously?" Kai asked.

"Wait a minute," Amelia said. "According to my data, your friend has a lot of memory storage. He might be able to absorb the monster."

"Is there a catch?" Hazel asked.

"I'm not sure," Amelia said. "Something like this wolf thing might be a virus. Because your friend is probably not used to storing anything in its body, let alone a virus, it could be potentially hazardous. The best plan is to use an anti-viral program to destroy it, but I'm not sure how difficult that could be."

"Can you create a program like that?" Megaman asked.

"Without a sample of the creature you guys are fighting, that will be next to impossible," Amelia said. "I'll try my best, though."

"Thanks," Kai said. "We'll get information on Colonel while we wait."

"Alright," Amelia said. "I'll contact you if we get information on that Colonel guy or Zero and Serena."

Amelia then disrupted their connection.

"Ok," Kai said.

"Why do you need to know about Colonel?" Megaman asked.

Kai then explained what had happened to Megaman.

"Colonel attacked you?!" Megaman exclaimed. "He's our ally. Why would he do that?"

"We're not sure," Kai said.

Later that day, the four of them met up with Glide, Roll, and Gutsman.

"That was crazy, Megaman!" Roll shouted.

"Taking on a Cybeast is as dumb as you can get," Glide said.

"Cybeast?" Hazel asked.

"By what you guys told me, those spirits you spoke about were Cybeasts," Glide said. "The Cybeasts were horrible viruses that rampaged across the web years ago. They were soon sealed away before they could do any permanent damage."

"So Circusman just released that kind of monster?!" Megaman exclaimed.

"That's why I don't trust clowns," Toad said.

Suddenly, static could be heard in the air again.

"GUYS, BAD NEWS!!!" Amelia shouted.

"Turn down the volume, Amelia!" Kai screamed. "My ears are splitting!"

"I just found an area that's being attacked by some sort of powerful virus!" Amelia shouted. "It's probably the wolf-thing!"

"That means that Gregar decided to attack," Glide said.

Kai, Toad, and Hazel looked confused.

"That's the wolf Cybeast," Glide answered.

"If that's true, then we have to fight back," Kai said. "Amelia, can you help?"

"I've got no power here!" Amelia shouted. "It takes more than a few hours to create a program that strong!"

"Then we have no choice," Megaman said. "Then we have to fight back using what we have. I can't allow Gregar to destroy the internet."

"Let's go!" Kai shouted.

Kai, Hazel, Toad, and Megaman then ran off to where Gregar was apparently attacking. Amelia led them there using her information.

"You're almost there!" Amelia exclaimed. "Now…ou….av…o."

"Amelia, what's wrong?" Hazel asked.

"The beast's power is disrupting our connection," Amelia said. "I'm sorry. You'll…av…o…ight…own."

They were disconnected.

"I guess we're on our own," Kai said. "Let's go!"  
The four of them soon saw the wolf spirit. It had grown larger from before. It roared loudly. Kai's group was forced backwards by a force of energy. Kai drew his sword, but Megaman put his hand out in front of him.

"Kai, you know just as well as I do that we can't stop him with attacks," Megaman said.

"Well what else are we supposed to do?" Hazel asked.

Megaman was silent for a moment.

"I'm going to absorb it into my own body," Megaman answered.

"That's crazy!" Kai shouted.

"Amelia said that doing that is dangerous!" Toad shouted.

"It's our only shot," Megaman said. "I'm going for it."

"But Megaman…" Hazel began.

"Good luck," Kai said. "I trust you."

Megaman then stepped forward.

"_Cybeast Download initiated_," Megaman said.

Megaman began to glow with a light-blue light. The Cybeast began to slide towards Megaman. It grew closer and closer until it disappeared into Megaman's body.

"I…did…it," Megaman said weakly.

He then fell to the ground.

"MEGAMAN!!!" Kai shouted.

Kai and his friends then carried Megaman back to Glide, Gutsman, and Roll. Megaman was groaning and screaming with pain as he was lying on the ground.

"Megaman," Roll said, worried about him.

"If this keeps up, Megaman might be deleted," Glide said.

A strange window appeared in front of Kai.

"Is this an e-mail?" Kai asked. "When did I get an e-mail address?"

"Read it," Hazel said.

"If you want to help Megaman, pick up the healing water in the Seaside Area," Kai read.

"Who sent you that mail?" Gutsman asked.

"It doesn't say," Kai said. "But that doesn't matter. We have to help Megaman in any way. I guess we have to go to Seaside Area."

"Do you even know where that is?" Hazel asked.

"I can lead you there," Roll said. "Glide, I trust you with Megaman."

"No problem," Glide said. "Just go get this healing water."

Kai, Toad, Hazel, and Roll then began to run out of the room.

"Can we trust whoever sent that message?" Hazel thought. "Are they friend…or foe?"


	26. Chapter 26: Back Together

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 26: Back Together**

Roll continued to lead Kai, Toad, and Hazel to Seaside Area. Kai, meanwhile, figured out how to contact Amelia.

"Amelia," Kai said. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Amelia said. "What do you need?"

"Could you find the source of a message I received?" Kai asked. "Someone sent me a message about some sort of cure for Megaman."

"I might be able to find out," Amelia said. "Forward me the message and I'll figure it out."

Kai then sent Amelia the message that came to him. Back in the real world, Amelia received the message. She then began to type crazily on the keyboard. Using some sort of code, she continued to search for the source of the e-mail.

Meanwhile, Kai's group finally reached Seaside Area. It was filled with huge pools of water. In their path, there was a huge faucet gushing a powerful stream of water down onto the path.

"We can't get past that thing," Roll said. "Someone set that up to prevent Navis from getting through."

"Is there any way to deactivate it?" Hazel asked.

"Maybe there's a switch underwater," Roll suggested.

Roll pointed to a pool of water to their right.

"I'm on it," Kai said.

Kai then dove straight into the water.

"Can Kai fight underwater?" Roll asked.

"I'm not sure," Hazel said. "Why do you ask?"

Meanwhile, underwater, Kai was being chased by a multitude of fish-like viruses. Kai was using all of his energy just to swim away. He was quickly running out of breath because of this. Soon, he had to swim straight up and back on dry land.

"That bad, huh?" Toad asked.

"If I could breathe, it wouldn't be so bad," Kai said.

"I've got an idea," Hazel said. "When I say jump, jump in."

Hazel and Kai stood at the shore.

"Jump!" Hazel shouted.

Kai and Hazel jumped into the air. Hazel surrounded them with a round barrier. When they went underwater, they were able to breathe.

"We can roll around underwater for a while," Hazel said. "Enemies won't be able to attack us either."

Hazel and Kai began to roll around underwater for a while. They soon found a switch.

"I guess we press that," Hazel said.

"One problem," Kai said. "We're in here. The switch is out there."

"We'll just have to dispel the barrier for a short while," Hazel said. "We'll also have to reach the top of the water before the viruses attack us and/or we run out of air. I'll dispel the barrier when you say 'ready'."

Kai then said "ready". Hazel released the barrier, and they were surrounded by water. Kai immediately pulled the switch. Back on the surface, Toad and Roll watched as the fountain stopped spurting out water. Kai and Hazel then quickly began to swim to the top. The fish viruses began their chase. Hazel soon turned around and focused magical energy into her hand.

"**Gyro Sphere**!" she shouted.

A huge, whirlpool shot straight from her hand and engulfed the viruses. The force of the attack blew her and Kai straight out of the water and back on dry land.

"I didn't think that would work," Hazel said.

"Doing reckless and stupid things for no apparent reason," Toad said. "Kai's rubbing off on you."

"Hey!" Kai shouted. "I take offence to that! My reckless things have a reason!"

"Let's get moving," Roll said. "Megaman needs that medicine."

Roll, Kai, Hazel, and Toad continued through the path. They soon reached a fountain pouring out silver water.

"This must be the healing water," Roll said.

"Well get some and let's go," Kai said.

Roll then took out a canteen. Roll then held the canteen into the water and filled it.

"Great!" Roll exclaimed. "Now Megaman will get better! Let's get moving!"

A few hours later, Kai and his friends arrived back at Glide's room. Roll then fed the unconscious Megaman the healing water. When she was finished, she stepped back. The room was silent.

"Did it work?" Kai asked.

Suddenly, Megaman began to scream in pain.

"What kind of poison did we feed him?!" Kai shouted.

"Megaman, are you alright?!" Roll asked.

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light rose from Megaman and filled the world. When the light faded, Megaman had transformed into some sort of monster. He had huge, orange spikes coming from his back. He had a long, devil tail. His hands and feet had claws on him. He was covered in a blue and orange armor that made him look monstrous.

"M-Megaman?" Roll asked.

Megaman roared with fury. He then began to attack anything in his sight. Everyone in the room dodged with the best of their abilities.

"What's going on?!" Hazel asked.

Suddenly, static was heard in the air.

"The Beast program that your friend absorbed has completely engulfed him!" Amelia's voice shouted.

"Can you do something?!" Toad asked.

"Try knocking him out," Amelia said.

"How do we keep him still long enough to knock him out?!" Toad shouted.

Megaman then charged straight for Roll. Roll screamed in fear as the monster charged for her. Suddenly, a rock barrier appeared between Roll and Megaman. Megaman looked confused at what had happened.

"Who did…" Kai began.

Suddenly, two figures jumped down from the ceiling. Kai almost immediately recognized the two figures.

"Serena, now!" Zero shouted.

Serena threw a dozen needles towards Megaman. The needles didn't hit him, but there were wires attached to the needles. Megaman was trapped by the wires.

"Those wires won't break," Serena said. "Kai, give him a good strike."

"Right," Kai said.

Kai focused white energy into his sword.

"**Dragon Claw**!" Kai shouted.

He then struck Megaman in the head. Megaman passed out and reverted back to his old self.

"Megaman?" Roll asked.

Megaman slowly opened his eyes.

"Roll…I'm…ok," Megaman said.

He then passed out again.

"That's another victory for us," Serena said.

"Where were you guys?!" Toad shouted. "We've been searching for you!"

"I'll explain," Zero said. "We arrived on F-Zero three days ago."

A flashback began. It showed Zero and Serena sailing on a small rowboat onto F-Zero.

"Now we just have to wait here for Kai and the others," Zero said. "They're sure to arrive."

"How can they get here without a boat?" Serena asked.

"They'll borrow a boat!" Zero shouted.

Suddenly, black figure appeared on the shore.

"Colonel?" Zero asked.

"Zero Tajiri, you are a threat to the master's plan," Colonel said. "I will eliminate you."

Colonel began to slash at them with his sword. Zero and Serena ran away from their attacker.

"What did you do to this guy?!" Serena asked.

"Hell if I know!" Zero shouted.

Colonel chased Zero and Serena to the computer room.

"I cannot allow you to stay here any longer," Colonel said. "Maybe the viruses will finish the job."

Colonel then pressed a key on the keyboard of the computer. The tiles that Zero and Serena were standing on virtualized them into the Internet. The two of them were surrounded by viruses of all different kinds. Zero and Serena fought them off. The flashback then ended.

"And we've been trapped here ever since," Serena finished.

"We can get you guys out of here," Kai said. "Our new friend can materialize us."

"Who's your new friend?" Zero asked.

Suddenly, static filled the air.

"KAI, WE'VE FOUND COLONEL!!!" Amelia shouted.

Everyone was shocked by this.

"Captain Falcon is battling him as we speak!" Amelia shouted. "I'll materialize you guys immediately! Step into the shining tiles!"

Five tiles began to glow.

"We'll be back soon," Kai said.

Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, and Serena stepped onto the tiles. They then teleported back into the real world.

"Where are Captain Falcon and Colonel?" Kai asked.

"I've got them on the monitor," Amelia said. "They're battling on the water tower!"

"Let's move!" Kai shouted.

Kai, Toad, Hazel, Zero, and Serena began to head for the water tower. On the top of the water tower were Colonel and Captain Falcon. The two of them were battling. Soon, Captain Falcon fell off.

"Captain!" Kai shouted.

Zero and Serena caught Captain Falcon as he fell. He had some serious injuries on him.

"Colonel definitely didn't hold back," Hazel said.

"Than neither will I," Kai said.

Kai then climbed up the ladder to the top of the water tower.

"You guys take Captain Falcon to an emergency room!" Kai shouted to his friends.

The rest of the group did as Kai asked. They were soon gone. Kai soon made it to the top.

"It seems that we finally meet in combat," Colonel said.

"Why did you hurt Captain Falcon?" Kai asked. "What's happened to you, Colonel?"

"If he hadn't interfered, he would've been fine," Colonel answered. "The same thing is about to happen to you."

"I'm not going down without a fight!" Kai shouted as he drew his sword.

The two of them began their duel. Kai and Colonel charged for each other. The sound of clashing metal echoed through the air as their swords met. After an exchange of blows, they jumped back. Kai then launched a **Din's Fire** towards Colonel. Colonel quickly dodged the attack.

Colonel appeared behind Kai and scored a clean hit. Kai bounced off of the ground, but he got back up. Colonel charged forward once more. Kai blocked his attacks with his sword. Kai then jumped up and got behind Colonel. Kai tried an attack, but Colonel quickly turned around and blocked.

The two of them continued exchanging blows as they walked across the water tower. Soon, Kai had no more room to walk backwards.

"This is where it ends," Colonel said.

Colonel charged forward and slashed at Kai. Kai jumped off of the water tower to dodge, but he grew pure-white wings and flew right back up.

"I bet you didn't know that I could fly," Kai said.

Kai then began to fly around the water tower. He continued his attack on Colonel.

"Your Avian wings have a fatal flaw," Colonel said.

Colonel blocked Kai's next attack. Colonel then slashed at Kai's right wing and obliterated it. Kai began to spin out of control and crashed onto the water tower.

"Your wings are made of pure magic," Colonel said. "An Avian's wings have that one fatal flaw in their design. Against a weapon that can cancel magic, those wings become useless."

"How…when…what?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Now then, Kai," Colonel said. "I'm afraid that this is where it ends."

Before Kai knew what happened, Colonel had appeared right in front of Kai. Colonel picked Kai up by his shirt. With one powerful blow to the head, Colonel knocked Kai out.

"My friend, I'm afraid that you've lost," Colonel said.

Colonel then chucked Kai off of the water tower. With all of his allies somewhere else, how can the unconscious Kai possibly save himself now?!


	27. Chapter 27: The Nefarious Dr Wily

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 27: The Nefarious Dr. Wily**

Kai slowly opened his eyes to see if he was really dead. He found himself in a hospital room with Hazel sitting next to him.

"Just how many times are you going to end up in a hospital room?" Hazel asked.

Kai sat up in his bed. All of his friends were in there.

"What happened?" Kai asked.

He felt a sharp pain on his head.

"You got beat by Colonel," Toad said.

"He knocked you out and threw you off of the water tower," Zero said.

"How am I alright?" Kai asked.

"Some girl rescued you," Serena answered.

"Who?" Kai asked.

As he asked this, a young girl entered the room. She had long, brunette hair, green eyes, a purple dress, and a big butterfly hair-clip.

"Her name's Iris," Toad said.

"Thanks for saving me," Kai said.

"No problem," Iris said.

"She brought you here and told us about what had happened," Zero said.

"But what do we do now?" Kai asked. "Colonel nearly killed me in that fight. What do we do now?"

"I thought about what he meant," Zero said. "He said something about us ruining someone's plans."

"I looked up information on Colonel," Amelia said. "It's in the super-computer's files. Apparently, he was created by someone named Dr. Wily.

"Dr. Wily?" Kai asked.

Iris looked uncomfortable as they talked about this.

"Dr. Wily was a scientist who helped to build the super-computer," Amelia continued. "He apparently created the perfect anti-virus program, codename: C.O.L.O.N.E.L."

"Colonel?!" everyone except Amelia and Iris exclaimed.

"Yeah," Amelia said. "Apparently, each of the scientists built programs to fight off viruses. Dr. Wily's was the most powerful. The scientists soon realized that their programs were alive. That's how the net-navis were born.

"For unknown reasons, Dr. Wily took his perfect program and disappeared. About a week later, Colonel returned, but he was different. According to records, Colonel seemed…colder. He had lost all kindness within him. Not only that, Dr. Wily had completely vanished. Nobody had anymore records about him."

"It must be this Dr. Wily guy that Colonel is working for," Toad said.

Kai then looked over towards Iris, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked.

Iris immediately smiled and looked towards Kai.

"I'm fine," Iris said. "Whoever this 'Dr. Wily' guy is, he sounds dangerous."

Kai looked at Iris confusingly.

"Anyway, we have to find out more information on Dr. Wily," Amelia said. "If we can figure out who and where he is, we might be able to get an explanation for Colonel's actions and the whole 'Cybeast' thing."

"True," Zero said.

Suddenly, Amelia's computer started to flash and beep.

"What's going on?" Kai asked.

"Two programs are heading for Megaman's company," Amelia answered.

"How do you know?" Toad asked.

"I wirelessly connected my laptop to the super-computer," Amelia answered. "But this isn't the time for that. We have to get you guys into the Internet!"

"Then we have to get moving," Kai said as he slowly got up.

"You have to stay in bed!" Hazel exclaimed.

"These injuries are nothing," Kai said. "Let's get moving!"

Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, Serena, and Amelia left the hospital room and headed for the super-computer. Iris stayed behind with Captain Falcon.

"You know more about this than you're implying," Captain Falcon said weakly.

Iris was surprised by what Captain Falcon had said. She turned to face him.

"Just who are you?" Captain Falcon asked.

Soon, Kai's group was teleported into the Internet by Amelia. They immediately made their way to Megaman's location.

"I have a confirmed data match," Amelia said. "One of the enemies is Circusman!"

"The other has to be Colonel," Zero said. "We have to hurry and get to Megaman before they do."

Soon, Kai's group reached Megaman's location. Megaman looked like he was back to normal.

"Kai!" Megaman exclaimed.

"No time for greetings," Kai said. "Colonel and Circusman are on their way here!"

"What do you mean?" Glide asked.

Suddenly, a monitor in the room began to flash and an alarm went off. Everyone looked towards the monitor. Colonel and Circusman, as well as an army of viruses, were heading straight for them.

"We have to fight an army?!" Serena exclaimed.

"Nothing we haven't done before," Kai said.

"True," Zero said. "Alright. Let's get moving!"

The group began to leave.

"Wait!" Megaman shouted.

Kai's group stopped as Megaman ran up to them.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hazel asked.

"I'm as good as new," Megaman said. "Let's get fighting."

"I'm not sure," Zero asked. "They are after you."

"Then I have to fight," Megaman said.

"Good enough for me," Kai said. "Let's give Colonel and Circusman what they deserve."

Kai and his friends rushed straight out of them room. Just outside were Colonel and Circusman.

"Hello there, Kai," Colonel said. "And I see that you've brought Megaman with you."

"Can it!" Kai shouted. "We're about to take you out!"

"Tell us where you're hiding the Cybeast!" Circusman shouted.

"Over our dead bodies!" Serena replied.

"Good enough," Circusman said. "Viruses, attack!"

The whole army of viruses charged straight for Kai's group.

"Kai, you and Megaman take out Colonel and Circusman," Hazel said. "We'll distract the viruses."

"Alright," Kai said. "Megaman, let's go!"

Toad then created a path through the viruses using a **Blizzaga** spell. Kai and Megaman rushed through the path and towards Colonel and Circusman. The rest of the group began to fight off the hordes of viruses.

"You two were unlucky for fighting us," Circusman said.

"I don't know how you survived the fall, but you won't get lucky again," Colonel said.

Megaman and Kai charged forward. Megaman began to use his **Mega Buster** to blast at Circusman. Circusman playfully dodged the attacks. Circusman then released two lions towards Megaman. Megaman blasted both lions away with charged blasts.

Kai and Colonel clashed blades, just like earlier. No matter how hard Kai fought, Colonel kept up with him. Kai, however, was having a hard time keeping up with Colonel.

"You're far too weak to defeat me," Colonel said.

"Don't be so sure!" Kai shouted.

Kai then began to focus his magic energy. Suddenly, his pure-white wings appeared.

"The wings again?" Colonel asked.

Kai then charged forward. Kai came in close enough for a strike, but Colonel merely jumped to the side for a dodge. Kai slid right past Colonel without even noticing it. Colonel then countered by slicing Kai's wing again. Kai fell to the ground.

"Those wings do grant you great speed and strength," Colonel said. "But without control, that speed can be used against you."

Kai then stood up and continued the fight. Colonel was easily blocking every attack that Kai swung. Kai, for some reason, felt much weaker than before.

"Why am I moving slower?" Kai asked.

Colonel then knocked Kai to the ground.

"Your wings are your greatest strength and your largest weakness," Colonel said. "One slice to them, and you completely lose your power."

Kai reached for his sword, but Colonel knocked it out of Kai's reach.

"I'm afraid that this is the end for you," Colonel said.

Colonel held his sword up above him. He then slashed down, but his sword was blocked by a second sword.

"Huh?" Kai asked.

He then looked up and saw another familiar swordsman-navi.

"Protoman!" Kai exclaimed.

"Colonel, stop this nonsense," Protoman said.

"I'm afraid that I cannot, Protoman," Colonel said. "Master Wily's plan cannot fail!"

Colonel and Protoman clashed blades once more. Protoman was keeping up with Colonel.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Colonel asked. "Can't you see that you cannot defeat me?"

"One swordsman may not be able to win, but two can," Protoman answered.

"Two?" Colonel asked.

Colonel then looked behind Protoman. Kai was charging up his strongest attack.

"_…I pray and I swear to thee_!" Kai chanted. "_Lend thy power to my unworthy blade_!"

Kai's energy was now at its max. Protoman knocked Colonel back while Colonel was distracted. Colonel was now in a position where he would be unable to block Kai's attack. Kai was now right in front of Colonel.

"**Gigaslash**!" Kai shouted.

Kai then slashed Colonel with his power. A huge explosion of energy filled the area. When the energy faded, Colonel was on his knees, but he was still alive. But Circusman had been deleted and all of the viruses were defeated.

"How are you still alive?" Megaman asked.

"Two things," Colonel said. "First, I held up my sword just in time for a block."

"And two?" Megaman asked.

"Ask Kai," Colonel said.

Colonel then teleported out of the area before anyone could grab him.

"Where did he go?" Hazel asked.

"And what did he mean?" Zero asked.

They all looked towards Kai.

"I'm not sure," Kai answered. "More importantly, how can we follow Colonel?"

"No idea," Hazel answered.

"I know," Amelia said. "I placed a bug on Colonel while you guys were fighting. I'll materialize you guys. Then we can formulate a plan."

Five tiles lit up. Kai and his friends stepped onto the tiles and were teleported back into the real world. What did Colonel mean when he told the others to ask Kai about his survival? What does Kai know that the others do not? And who was the mysterious Iris?


	28. Chapter 28: The Lair of Dr Wily

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 28: The Lair of Dr. Wily**

Kai and his friends were teleported back to the real world. Amelia was clicking on the keyboard wildly.

"I can use the bug I placed on Colonel to track down Wily's HQ," Amelia said.

After a minute of clicking on the keyboard, the computer pinged once more.

"I found it!" Amelia exclaimed. "It's right here on F-Zero!"

"Where exactly?" Kai asked.

"I'm not sure about its exact coordinates," Amelia said. "The bug stopped working. I'm guessing that Colonel discovered it."

"I might know," a familiar voice said.

They all turned towards the voice. Captain Falcon was standing there, even if only barely.

"You're too injured to be standing!" Hazel shouted.

"I'm not about to let some psycho scientist stay here," Captain Falcon said. "I'm the appointed protector of F-Zero."

Captain Falcon clutched his stomach in pain.

"Those stitches won't last if you move around too much," Hazel said. "I have to insist that you rest."

"Let him stay," Kai said.

"But Kai…" Hazel began.

"Kai's right," Zero said. "Captain Falcon knows more about F-Zero than any of us. If anyone has any idea where Dr. Wily is, it's him."

"Fine," Hazel said.

"Alright, Captain," Toad said. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I know about every building on F-Zero," Captain Falcon said. "The only building that supposedly has no people in it is the abandoned stadium."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kai asked. "Let's get moving!"

"Just a sec," Amelia said.

She hooked her laptop up to the super-computer. She then began to click on the two keyboards. Soon, she hit the enter key on the super-computer's. Suddenly, both computer screens began to flash.

"What are you doing?" Toad asked.

"Downloading stuff we might need," Amelia said.

Once she was done, she closed her laptop.

"Now let's get moving," Amelia said.

Everyone in the room began to follow Captain Falcon across F-Zero. They soon reached an ancient-looking stadium. The metals of the building had rusted and the wood had rotted.

"Whoa," everyone except Captain Falcon and Zero said.

"Let's get moving," Zero said.

Zero bit his thumb and formed his hand-signs.

"**Ninja-Art: Summoning Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

In a cloud of smoke, a little blue dragon appeared below him.

"What do you need, boss?" the little dragon asked.

"Scout the building for any traps," Zero said.

"Yes sir!" the little dragon said.

The dragon then went into the building.

"It would be idiotic to go in without knowing something about where we're going," Zero said. "We'll follow the dragon."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. They all entered the building after the dragon. The dragon slowly led the way through the dark building.

"It looks like this place has been abandoned for years," Hazel said. "Are we sure that Wily's in here?"

"It's the only place he could be in," Captain Falcon said.

The dragon then sniffed the wall to the right.

"Boss, there's something here!" the dragon exclaimed.

Zero pressed against the wall. Suddenly, a hidden passageway was revealed. In the passageway was a staircase.

"If that isn't a clue, I don't know what is," Kai said.

With the dragon leading the way, they began their descent. The stairs seemed endless as they traveled further and further down the steps. Soon, however, they reached an end. At the bottom was another hallway, but this one was different. The walls were covered by wires and fresh metal. This place looked much newer than anything else in the area.

"Someone's been doing some remodeling," Toad said.

"Let's get moving," Zero said.

Meanwhile, in another room, a huge computer was showing Kai and his friends walking down the hallway. Watching the computer was an old man who was nearly bald except for the spiky, grey hair on the sides of his head. One of his eyes had been replaced by a strange monocle. He also had a bushy, grey mustache and a cane. He wore a grey lab outfit. This man was Dr. Wily.

"Now the little rats have come to play," Dr. Wily said. "Let's see how they like my better mouse-trap."

Dr. Wily pressed a key on the computer's keyboard.

Back in the hallway, Kai's group continued down the hall.

"I wonder if we're really safe, even if we follow that dragon," Hazel said.

"Just watch out, and we'll be…" Kai began.

Suddenly, the ground below them began to glow.

"This can't be good," Kai said.

Suddenly, all of them were teleported. Kai and Hazel ended up in a strange, large room.

"Where are we?" Kai asked.

"And where are the others?" Hazel asked.

Zero and Serena ended up in a large room with a rounded wall.

"We fell for a trap," Zero complained. "Damn."

"We'd be best to keep on our toes," Serena said.

Toad, Captain Falcon, Amelia, and the dragon were transported into a huge room with colorful walls.

"Whoa," Toad said.

"I guess we ended up falling for a trap," Captain Falcon said.

Amelia began to click on her laptop.

"What are you doing?" Toad asked.

"I'm trying to hack into whatever network teleported us here," Amelia said. "That teleportation device that sent us here is almost like the one that I used to teleport you guys into the net, only we're still in the real world."

"So what do we do?" Toad asked.

"If I can hack into the network, I might be able to get us back with the others," Amelia said.

"I see," Toad said.

"That won't help you now," a voice said.

They looked around. Captain Falcon was the first to notice the speaker. It was a red and black navi with two jets protruding from its back. This navi looked particularly powerful.

"Who are you?" Toad asked.

"My name's Blastman," the navi said. "Dr. Wily has ordered me to torch you."

Meanwhile, back in Zero's room, Zero and Serena watched for anything to happen. Suddenly, a blue navi appeared out of nowhere. He had a white cape.

"I am Judgeman," the navi said. "And I'm here to distribute punishment."

Back in Kai's room, a navi with a submarine for a body rose from the ground like it was made of water.

"Awooga!" the navi shouted. "Diveman has targeted the enemy! Preparing for destruction!"

"That can't be good," Hazel said.

Meanwhile, Toad began to battle Blastman. Blastman launched a barrage of fireballs towards Toad. Toad countered using his **Blizzara** spells. The two attacks would cancel each other out.

"You can't keep that up forever," Blastman said. "Unlike you, I don't have to worry about a limited power source."

"Damn," Toad thought. "He's right."

"I have to help," Captain Falcon groaned.

Captain Falcon stood up, but he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

"You'd be more of a hindrance than a help," Amelia said.

Captain Falcon agreed, but he didn't like it. Toad tried to hit Blastman with a **Thundara**, but Blastman merely slid out of the way to dodge it.

"You can't win," Blastman said. "You're doomed, little fungus!"

Meanwhile, Zero and Serena were having problems of their own. Judgeman summoned giant books to crush Zero and Serena with. Zero and Serena, however, were fast enough to dodge each attack. But they couldn't get close enough for an attack.

"**Fire-Style: Fireball Jutsu**!" Zero shouted as he formed hand-signs.

Zero shot a huge fireball from his mouth. Judgeman summoned another book as a shield to block the attack. Judgeman then pulled out a whip and tried to whip Zero and Serena. The whip hit Zero, but in a cloud of smoke, it was revealed that he had performed a substitution.

Zero appeared above Judgeman.

"**Fire-Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

He shot many, smaller fireballs towards Judgeman. Judgeman blocked the attack with his arms. Behind him, however, Serena ran up to him.

"Taste my poison," Serena said.

She held four needles in each hand. She began to jab Judgeman with the needles. It seemed as if victory was theirs.

Judgeman, however, merely smiled. He flipped around and backhanded Serena.

"Serena!" Zero shouted.

A huge book with teeth started to charge for him. Zero used all of his strength to keep the book's mouth from chomping down.

"You two are swift," Judgeman said. "But justice is swifter."

"Shut…up!" Zero shouted.

Zero felt the weight of the book pounding down on him.

Back in Kai's room, Kai and Hazel were battling Diveman. Kai charged forward for an attack, but Diveman dived under the ground as if it was water.

"Where did he…" Kai began.

Diveman rose up from behind him.

"Kai!" Hazel shouted. "Behind you!"

Kai turned around. Diveman launched two torpedoes from his chest. Kai couldn't get a shield up in time. Kai was blown backwards. Hazel charged forward with her hammer. She swung the hammer towards Diveman, but Diveman dodged like he did earlier.

"Where is he?" Hazel thought.

Diveman rose up and launched more torpedoes. Hazel saw this in time and created a barrier. She then began to run. She got over to Kai. Diveman launched another set of torpedoes. Hazel created a barrier to defend against the attack. Diveman appeared inside the barrier.

"What?!" Hazel exclaimed.

Diveman attacked the two of them from inside the barrier. Hazel and Kai went flying. Kai then charged forward for his attack.

"**Dragon Claw**!" Kai shouted.

He focused the white energy into his blade. He tried to slash Diveman, but Diveman dove underground.

"This is getting old!" Kai complained.

Diveman appeared behind Kai once more and pulled up a wave of actual water. Kai was blown backwards by the wave.

"This is crap," Kai groaned.

"This whole room is my battle field," Diveman said. "I can dive anywhere and resurface anywhere. You cannot win."

Kai charged forward once more. Diveman dove back underground. Kai then looked over his shoulder, expecting another attack from behind him.

Diveman appeared from right under Kai's feet. He created a huge tidal wave that blew Kai straight into a wall.

"KAI!!!" Hazel cried.

Hazel ran up to Kai. She shook him, but he was out cold.

"One down, one to go," Diveman said.

"What do I do?" Hazel thought. "He can get past my barriers, and Kai, with all of his speed, couldn't land a single blow. How can I penetrate the ultimate defense?"


	29. Chapter 29: Separate Battles

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 29: Separate Battles**

Things didn't look bright for Hazel. Kai was knocked out, Diveman could dive underground, and Hazel was on her own against the ultimate defense.

"Think, Hazel," Hazel thought. "This guy can dive underground before you can pull out any attack. He then retaliates with either a tidal wave or torpedoes. He can also get past your own barrier. What can I do to beat him."

Diveman began to charge straight for Hazel. Hazel grabbed Kai and jumped out of the way. She then propped Kai up against a wall.

"Stay right here," Hazel said.

Hazel pulled out her hammer and charged straight for Diveman. She swung her hammer towards Diveman. Diveman dove underground before she could hit, however. Hazel then began to move. She watched the ground for Diveman. She then saw Diveman begin to rise in front of her. Hazel jumped to the side as Diveman began his attack.

Hazel swung her mighty hammer in a vertical attack towards Diveman. Diveman escaped underground. When Hazel's hammer hit the ground, the hit made a small hole.

"Damn," Hazel thought. "He dodged me again!"

Diveman appeared behind Hazel. He then blasted Hazel with a torpedo. Hazel fell to the ground and had a wound on her right arm. She then used a **Cura** spell to heal the wound.

"If this keeps up, I'll lose my power without even hitting him once," Hazel thought. "Should I use the **Gyro Sphere**? No. He can dodge it as well. If I can find out where and when he rises up, I might be able to hit him. But how do I do that?"

Meanwhile, Toad was running low on magical power as Blastman continued his assault.

"I can't seem to land a blow on this guy!" Toad thought. "We both specialize in distance attacks. Even if I keep my distance, he can still hit me."

Blastman covered his whole body with a flame.

"What the?!" Toad shouted.

Blastman charged for Toad with a flaming tackle. Toad jumped out of the way, but he felt the heat of the attack.

"That attack could scorch me!" Toad shouted.

"I have to help," Captain Falcon said.

"Shut up," Amelia said. "I'll do it."

Amelia stood up and pulled out her giant wrench. She then threw it like a boomerang towards Blastman, and it hit.

"I did it!" Amelia happily exclaimed.

Blastman only looked angry.

"I was going to kill the fungus first, but you have pissed me off!" Blastman shouted.

Blastman started a second flaming tackle towards Amelia.

"Look out!" Toad shouted.

Toad pushed Amelia out of the way. His leg, however, felt the full force of the attack. Toad screamed in absolute pain. His right leg was torched.

"Why did you do that?!" Amelia asked.

"We're allies," Toad said with his teeth clenched from the pain. "I won't let you die like that. I know that you'd do the same thing for me."

"But now you can't even walk!" Amelia shouted.

"Yeah, I didn't think that through," Toad said.

Blastman landed in front of them.

"This is where it ends," Blastman said as he focused a fireball into his right hand.

Meanwhile, Zero was still handling the crocodile book.

"Damn!" Zero shouted.

"You will eventually fall," Judgeman said. "Justice will be…"

"SHUT UP!!!" Zero shouted.

The seal on his stomach began to glow brightly. Zero felt the full power of his chakra. He ripped the huge book straight in half.

"Now then," Zero said. "Let's get this started."

"So you've been holding back," Judgeman said. "Your sentence will be harsher now."

"Don't think he's the only one," Serena said.

Serena stood up and pulled up her pant leg. On her ankles were leg-weights.

"How long were those on there?" Zero asked.

Serena removed the leg-weights and held them out to her side.

"Do you really believe that removing a few pounds will…" Judgeman began.

Serena dropped the weights. The weights crushed the ground below them and created huge craters. Zero and Judgeman were both surprised by this.

Serena then disappeared in a flash.

"Where did she…" Judgeman asked.

Serena appeared behind him. She then began to rapidly punch and kick Judgeman. Judgeman felt the full force of the attack. Serena disappeared and reappeared behind him in the blink of an eye. She then pulled out two knives and began to hack and slash at the navi. Zero watched in astonishment at this girl. Soon, Judgeman was on the ground.

"What the heck are you doing?" Serena asked. "Zero, get moving!"

"Right," Zero said.

Zero formed a few hand-signs.

"**Shadow-Clone Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

Four more Zeros appeared.

"Let's do this!" all of the Zeros said.

Serena nodded her head as if she understood what Zero was thinking.

The five Zeros charged forward towards Judgeman. Judgeman saw as Zero got up to him. Four of them kicked Judgeman straight up into the air. Serena ran up to the fifth. The fifth Zero launched Serena into the air. He himself then jumped up below Judgeman as Serena flew above him.

"**Twin Barrage attack**!!!" Zero and Serena shouted together.

Serena kicked down on Judgeman as Zero hit him with an uppercut. Judgeman was squeezed outwards. Serena then grabbed Zero mid-air and threw him towards Judgeman. Zero focused his chakra into his right hand.

"**Meteor Blast Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

Zero used his jutsu to slam Judgeman straight into the wall. Zero and Serena landed on the ground, the four other Zeros disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Judgeman crashed into the ground.

"I…failed," Judgeman groaned.

He then changed to a purple light and exploded.

"I guess we deleted him," Serena said.

Zero fell to the ground.

"I hate it when this happens," Zero said painfully. "I guess it was either this or death by a book."

"Now how do we get out of here?" Serena asked.

Meanwhile, Blastman was prepared for his final attack.

"**Falcon Kick**!" Captain Falcon shouted.

Captain Falcon performed a flaming kick that blew Blastman away.

"**Raptor Boost**!" Captain Falcon shouted.

He performed a flaming uppercut that shot Blastman into the air. Captain Falcon then jumped into the air and grabbed Blastman.

"**Falcon Dive**!" Captain Falcon shouted.

Captain Falcon blew Blastman away with an explosion. Blastman crashed into a wall while Captain Falcon landed on his feet. He then groaned with pain as he clutched his stomach.

"Captain!" Toad shouted.

Blastman crawled out of the wall.

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!!!" Blastman shouted.

"Enough!" Toad shouted.

Toad focused one last spell into his right hand.

"Amelia, throw me!" Toad shouted.

"What do you…" Amelia began.

"Just throw me!" Toad shouted.

Amelia grabbed Toad and threw him towards Blastman. Toad's magic energy in his right hand became filled with a multitude of colors. Blastman turned to face Toad and filled his hand with a fireball.

"**Ultima**!!!" Toad shouted.

The two attacks collided. Toad's spell, however, bested the fireball. A huge explosion completely engulfed and destroyed Blastman. Toad crashed landed on the ground.

"That hurt," Toad said.

"But at least Blastman is dead," Amelia said. "Now I can focus on getting us out of here."

Amelia began to click wildly on the keyboard. Meanwhile, Hazel was trying to hit Diveman, who kept dodging her attacks. She also dodged Diveman's torpedoes. By now, there were many craters in the ground.

"I'm running low on energy," Hazel thought. "I have to finish this quickly."

Diveman taunted her by diving underground and resurfacing over and over. Hazel watched Diveman move.

"Wait a minute," Hazel thought. "He can only seem to dive into and resurface from undamaged tiles. And I can see wires in the damaged floors. Then that means…I've got it!"

Hazel focused a large **Gyro Sphere** into her right hand.

"You won't hit me with that!" Diveman shouted.

"It's not for you," Hazel said.

She slammed the attack straight into the ground. A huge wave of energy spread across the room and destroyed the floor. Diveman was sent flying straight into the air by the force of the attack.

"Checkmate," Hazel said from below him.

Hazel jumped in the air with another **Gyro Sphere** in her hand. She slammed it straight into Diveman's chest. Diveman was sent spinning wildly through the air. He continued to spin even when he hit the wall. This created a huge, spiral-shaped crater in the wall. Diveman then fell into the damaged floor. Hazel landed on the ground as well.

"You're ultimate defense has a weakness," Hazel said. "You can travel through the ground through a network. By destroying the network, you can't travel around. Not only that, I can blast you right out of the ground with a wave of magic. That was it. You have lost."

"Impossible," Diveman said.

Diveman was then deleted.

"Nice job," Kai said weakly.

Hazel ran over to him.

"How long have you been awake?" Hazel asked.

"I woke up about when I flew through the air by your attack," Kai said. "Nice job. That's why you're our group's tactician."

"Thanks," Hazel said as she helped Kai to stand.

"Now what do we do?" Kai asked.

Suddenly, an undamaged tile in front of them was glowing brightly.

"Maybe it's a good thing that nobody's perfect," Kai said.

Kai and Hazel stepped onto the glowing tile and teleported. Every member of Kai's group returned together in the hallway where they disappeared.

"You guys are alright!" Kai exclaimed.

"Toad, what happened to your leg?!" Hazel asked.

"Long story," Toad said.

Hazel began to heal Toad's leg. Zero walked up to Kai.

"So how much strength do you have?" Zero asked.

"Full strength," Kai said. "I ended up taking a nap mid-fight. Hazel, however, is running on near-empty."

Hazel's spell fizzled out after she was halfway through.

"Sorry Toad," Hazel said. "That was all I could do."

"No problem," Toad said. "I can at least walk now."

Toad was able to stand up on his own without any pain.

"But I doubt I can run," Toad said.

"No problem," Zero said. "Now then. Let's finish our mission."

The group continued down the path. Meanwhile, Dr. Wily slammed his fists on his computer table.

"DAMN IT!!!" Dr. Wily shouted. "Impossible! How did they beat my strongest forces?! And Colonel, of course, has gone A.W.O.L. Damn it! I hope you're almost finished…Iris."

Iris was working on two large robots. One had a pink diamond on its body while the other had a blue diamond on it.

"Of course," Iris said. "I will be done soon."

"I'm so glad I programmed you to be obedient," Dr. Wily said. "You might not be the strongest of my navis, but you sure are the most loyal."

"Yes," Iris said.

"Now then," Dr. Wily said. "Alright. It'll soon be time to release the Cybeasts on the world!"

Dr. Wily began to laugh evilly. His laughter echoed through the room. Will Kai be able to stop Dr. Wily? And where has Colonel gone?


	30. Chapter 30: Cybeast Gregar

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 30: Cybeast Gregar**

Kai's group continued down the path. They soon reached a huge door with a "W" carved into it.

"I guess this is it," Kai said. "We don't know what's ahead, but we're ready to fight."

"Kai," a voice said from behind the group.

They all turned around to see Colonel.

"You!" Kai shouted.

"If you're here for a fight, you've got one," Zero said. "And we're not afraid to gang-up on you!"

"I'm not here to stop you, but to help you," Colonel said.

Kai looked confused.

"I've always been here to help you!" Colonel shouted.

"How about nearly killing Kai?!" Toad shouted. "I bet that wasn't helping!"

"I knew that he would be saved," Colonel said. "And I showed you a weakness that you all never knew."

"What about attacking Megaman?" Hazel asked.

"Throughout the battle, I was giving Kai advice," Colonel replied. "He understood everything, even if he didn't say it."

"Wait a minute," Serena said. "Then…you knew?!"

"I didn't know," Kai said. "I just had a feeling. That's why…I held back my final attack. I didn't believe you were against us, Colonel."

Kai shook Colonel's hand.

"I am seriously confused," Amelia said.

"We don't have a moment to lose," Colonel said. "Let's go inside for the final battle against Wily."

The group then walked inside. Once inside, everyone was in awe about what they saw. Dead ahead of them were the giant robots with diamonds on their chests. Dr. Wily was standing in between the robots.

"Welcome," Dr. Wily said. "It seems not only do we have some intruders, but we have a traitor."

"I'm not a traitor!" Colonel shouted. "Doctor! Please, change your mind! You must reconsider doing this!"

"I'm afraid I cannot, Colonel," Dr. Wily said. "I've come too far to stop now! Iris!"

Iris then walked from behind one of the robots.

"Iris!" Kai exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Iris, activate the Cybeast," Dr. Wily said.

"Iris, don't!" Kai shouted.

"Do not try," Colonel said to Kai. "She's in operating mode. She can't hear you."

"Operating mode?" Kai asked.

"Years ago, after Dr. Wily created me, he heard of a death of a friend in the War of the Red Moon," Colonel said.

"That was the war against Sephiroth!" Toad exclaimed.

"After hearing of his friend's demise, Dr. Wily took me and split me into two navis. One half became the cold warrior you see before you. The other…you probably understand now."

"It was Iris?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Iris is a net navi?!" Toad shouted.

"Come, Cybeast Falzar," Iris said.

The pink robot began to flash. It then transformed into the giant falcon Cybeast. The falcon screeched with rage when it was fully transformed.

"HOLY CRAP!!!" Toad shouted.

"Iris, control the Cybeast and be my arms and legs," Dr. Wily said. "Go cover the world in fear and confusion!"

"Iris, wait!" Kai shouted.

But she didn't hear him. She disappeared into the Falzar robot.

"What do we do?!" Hazel asked.

"There is one hope," Colonel said. "I'll download myself into Falzar and combine myself with Iris. Then I can destroy Falzar from the inside."

"Nice try," Dr. Wily said. "But I created a program that would blow up everything in the area, even all of the computers, if you combine!"

"Damn," Colonel said. "But we have no choice. I still have to destroy him from the inside."

Colonel disappeared into the robot.

"You are a fool, Colonel," Dr. Wily said. "Falzar, let loose your fury!"

Falzar released another screech. A scream was then heard coming from Amelia's computer.

"What was that?" Kai asked.

"I…downloaded Megaman into my laptop," Amelia said. "I thought we could use his help."

"He's in pain!" Hazel shouted. "You have to let him out!"

"Something's going on!" Amelia shouted.

Megaman screamed even louder.

"MEGAMAN!!!" Kai shouted.

"What's going on?" Toad asked.

"The two Cybeasts are pulling each other together," Dr. Wily said. "Come, Cybeast Gregar!"

In a flash of light and a loud scream, the blue robot had transformed into Gregar.

"The Cybeast escaped from Megaman?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Cybeasts!" Wily shouted. "Let your roar destroy F-Zero!"

The Cybeasts roared together. Outside, every machine was acting strange. The robots were attacking the humans of the island and causing them great pain.

Back in the robot room, Kai and his friends felt the huge surge of energy blow at them.

"We have to stop them!" Kai shouted.

"You're too late!" Dr. Wily shouted. "Iris, destroy them!"

Nothing happened.

"Iris!" Dr. Wily shouted again.

"I'm…sorry Kai," Iris's voice said from inside Falzar.

"Iris?" Kai asked.

"Impossible!" Dr. Wily shouted. "How did Iris regain her mind?!"

"Kai, hurry!" Iris shouted. "I can't keep the Cybeasts back much longer!"

"Kai, we must destroy the Cybeasts!" Colonel shouted.

"Brother," Iris said. "I don't want to hurt anymore."

"That's funny, coming from a weapons control navi!" Dr. Wily shouted.

"It is true that I controlled weapons for you," Iris said. "I didn't have the courage to stand up for myself. But then I met Kai. It didn't matter how hurt he was, he kept on fighting. His friends did the same thing as well."

She remembered how each of them fought against the navis.

"Now my courage has grown," Iris said. "Colonel, I will fight! Let's defeat the Cybeast together!"

"Iris," Colonel said. "You've grown strong."

"Iris?" Dr. Wily said. "You would betray me, too?!"

"Amelia, can you transport me into Gregar?" Kai asked.

"Huh?" Amelia asked.

"Iris and Colonel are fighting Falzar," Kai said. "I have to fight Gregar."

"Kai," Amelia said. "Besides Megaman, because this is Dr. Wily's network, I can only transport one person. Can you two handle Gregar?"

"We'll fight," Megaman said. "And we'll win."

"You heard the man," Kai said. "Let's go."

Kai walked up to the robot. Amelia began to click the keyboard wildly.

"Downloading Kai…Megaman!" Amelia shouted.

Kai then disappeared into Gregar. Kai was teleported inside of the Cybeast. Inside of the robot was a long path leading to the Cybeast program. Megaman suddenly appeared right next to him.

"Ready for a fight?" Megaman asked.

"Of course," Kai said.

"Good luck, guys," Amelia said.

"Go get him, Kai!" Toad shouted.

"Be careful," Hazel said.

Everyone gave their votes of confidence to Kai and Megaman.

"You heard them," Kai said. "Let's go!"

Kai and Megaman began down their path. They soon reached a huge floor. Standing before them was the gargantuan Cybeast Gregar. He towered high above Kai and Megaman.

"He's huge!" Kai shouted.

Gregar pointed its large tail towards Kai and Megaman. A huge beam of electricity shot from the tail's tip.

"Dodge it!" Megaman shouted.

Kai and Megaman jumped in opposite directions to dodge the beam. Megaman aimed his Mega Buster towards Gregar and began to fire. The Mega Buster seemed to do nothing to Gregar. Gregar launched a stream of fire from its mouth and attempted to scorch Megaman. However, Kai flew in the way and blocked the attack with **Nayru's Love**. Kai then countered with **Din's Fire**. Gregar launched another beam of electricity, which collided with the flames.

"This isn't working!" Kai shouted.

Gregar then launched its claws like missiles towards Kai and Megaman. Megaman's Mega Buster turned into a sword. Kai and Megaman then used their blades to block the claws. They then redirected the claws away from them. Without warning, Gregar's head began to shoot towards them. Kai and Megaman were blown away by this attack. After finishing this attack, Gregar's claws and head returned to its body.

Megaman and Kai slowly got up through the pain. Kai used a **Cure** spell to heal his wounds.

"This things tough," Megaman said.

"Then we just have to get tougher," Kai replied.

Kai then began to focus his magical energy. But instead of his white or grey wings, his rainbow wings rose out of him.

Back in the outside world, Amelia had set up a window on her computer that was showing the entire battle.

"Kai reached the 3rd Avian Stage!" Hazel exclaimed.

"I thought he didn't know how to control it," Toad said.

"I recognize those wings from when he drew the sword," Amelia said.

"Then he must've gained the ability to control the 3rd Avian Stage when he drew that sword!" Serena exclaimed.

Back in the data world, Kai began to rapidly fly around Gregar, confusing it. Gregar tried to blast Kai with an electric beam, but Kai merely flew out of the way to dodge it. Kai then flew towards Gregar, but Gregar blocked Kai's attack. Gregar then countered by swatting Kai with his tail. Kai plummeted towards a wall, but he caught himself before he crashed.

"I might be fast, but my normal attacks aren't strong enough to destroy him," Kai thought. "I'd better try the **Gigaslash**."

Kai began to focus his energy.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom_…" Kai began.

He was interrupted by an electric beam of energy.

"I can't use the attack without finishing the incantation!" Kai shouted.

Megaman charged forward to attack Gregar with his sword, but Gregar overpowered him and launched him into the air. Megaman crash landed next to Kai.

"None of our attacks work," Megaman said.

"And I can't use the **Gigaslash** without finishing the spell!" Kai shouted.

"I might be able to stall him if I can get stronger," Megaman said. "But I get blown away almost instantly."

"I'll be able to help!" Amelia's said.

Back in the real world, Amelia began to click on her keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Hazel asked.

"I'm activating a new program that I installed into Megaman," Amelia answered. "Now!"

Amelia hit the enter key on her keyboard. Back in the data world, Megaman felt something growing inside of him. Suddenly, he sprouted two silver wings on his back.

"What's this?" Megaman asked.

"I got inspiration for a new program for you net navis," Amelia said. "It'll only last a short while, however, so use it while it lasts! It'll grant you great speed!"

"Alright!" Megaman exclaimed. "I'll distract Gregar while you charge that attack of yours!"

Megaman shot like a rocket into the air. He then began to fly around as Gregar tried to swat him with his claws and tail. Kai began to focus his power.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage_," Kai chanted. "_Courage that shines brighter than the sun_."

His sword began to spark with power until it changed into pure energy.

"_I pray to thee and I swear to thee_," Kai continued. "_Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand!_"

Kai's power rose to its peak. His rainbow wings transferred into his sword, which then grew to a large size. Megaman's program wore off and he lost his wings. Gregar then easily knocked Megaman away. It then saw Kai charging towards it. It then launched an electric beam from its tail.

"**GIGASLASH**!!!" Kai shouted as he swung his blade.

All of the energy from his sword shot out in a huge blast of energy, which absorbed all of Gregar's energy. The attack hit Gregar. The explosion created a huge flash of light that filled the entire room. When the light faded, small explosions began to burst from Gregar's body.

"We did it!" Megaman exclaimed.

Kai fell on one knee. He then began to breathe hard from exhaustion.

"I've never been this tired before," Kai thought. "I guess this is a side-effect of the third Avian stage."

Megaman got an e-mail. He looked at the window in front of him.

"Colonel and Iris took out Falzar as well!" Megaman exclaimed. "It's all over."

"Look out!" Amelia's voice shouted through the air.

Kai and Megaman looked towards Gregar. The explosions became more rapid than before. Gregar then roared, and a huge flash of light rose from its body and engulfed the entire room. When the light faded, Gregar had taken over Megaman's body once more. Megaman glared at Kai and began to growl.

"The Cybeast re-entered Megaman's body," Dr. Wily said maliciously. "As long as it exists, my plan will succeed!"

Dr. Wily began to laugh evilly. Toad began to rush towards Dr. Wily.

"Take that thing out of him now!" Toad shouted.

Toad tried to punch Dr. Wily, but an invisible, electric barrier stopped Toad in his tracks with a painful shock. Toad fell back towards the rest of the group.

"I would advise against that," Dr. Wily said. "Beside, even if I wanted to, removing the beast is impossible! Go Cybeast…I mean Megaman! Destroy everything as you like, starting with the swordsman!"

Megaman stalked around Kai like a tiger about to pounce upon its prey. Kai was unable to move, however, thanks to his exhaustion.

"Damn!" Kai thought. "I'm out of power! I can't even move!"

"KAI!!!" Hazel cried into the computer.

She began to shake the laptop like crazy.

"You've got to get out of there!" Hazel shouted. "He's gonna kill you!"

"Don't take out your frustration on my laptop!" Amelia exclaimed fearfully.

Meanwhile, Megaman drew closer and closer towards Kai.

"Megaman, snap out of it!" Kai shouted. "Megaman!"

"You're wasting your breath," Dr. Wily's voice echoed into the air. "Megaman is too weak from that last battle! He can't fight off the Cybeast now!"

Megaman roared with fury. Suddenly, Colonel and Iris teleported between Kai and Megaman.

"Colonel!" Kai exclaimed. "Iris!"

"What are you guys doing?!" Amelia asked. "You have to run!"

"Kai, we will take care of Megaman," Iris said.

"What are you talking about?!" Kai asked. "You guys are hurt!"

"Yes, we are wounded," Colonel said. "However, there is a way to save Megaman."

"What way?" Toad asked.

Amelia realized what he meant.

"No!" Amelia shouted. "You can't do that!"

"Do what?" Zero asked.

"If my brother and I become one again, we might be able to pull the Cybeast out of Megaman," Iris said.

Everyone else looked extremely shocked.

"Don't be stupid!" Dr. Wily said. "If you unite, my program will blow us all up!"

"Blow us all up?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Remember," Zero said. "Dr. Wily mentioned that uniting Colonel and Iris would cause all of the nearby computers to explode. This whole building is one huge computer."

Serena and Toad screamed in shock.

"Don't do something so meaningless!" Dr. Wily shouted.

"You're wrong," Iris said. "It's not meaningless. We want Kai and his friends to have a beautiful future…"

"Isn't that impossible if we're dead!" Toad shouted.

"Dr. Wily…" Iris continued. "Nothing good can come from violence and hatred."

"For a navi who only thought of fighting and deleting, I would have never thought I could rise to this," Colonel said. "Kai, live well and become stronger."

"Iris!" Kai shouted. "Colonel!"

Megaman began to growl.

"Let's start, Brother," Iris said.

"Yes," Colonel said.

Colonel and Iris began to glow with a golden light.

"Stop!" Kai shouted.

Colonel and Iris were pulled together by an invisible force. The two of them combined to form a stronger Colonel, who was still glowing with a golden light.

"Let's go, Iris!" Colonel shouted.

"Right," Iris's voice said from inside Colonel.

Colonel charged forward, screaming a battle yell. Using his sword, he swiped the Cybeast's soul from inside Megaman. He held it in his non-sword hand. Megaman had reverted back to his original self.

"So this is the heart of the Cybeast," Colonel said. "Kai, you must get out of here any way you can. Use the battle chip I put next to you to regain your strength!"

Kai looked to his right. A small, computer chip he had never seen before then was placed there. Kai then inserted it into his own body. Suddenly, he felt as if he had just ingested a vial of Honey Syrup.

"My energy's restored!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai put away his sword, ran over to Megaman, and picked him up.

"Farewell, Colonel," Kai said.

Colonel smiled. Kai began to focus magical energy into his right hand.

"**Farore's Wind**!" Kai shouted.

In a huge gust of wind, Kai and Megaman disappeared. The two of them reappeared in the real world next to Kai's friends.

"I didn't know you could do that," Amelia said.

"You two should get out of there now!" Hazel shouted.

"They won't," Kai said.

Everyone except Dr. Wily, Kai, and Zero looked surprised.

"They plan to blow themselves up to delete the Cybeast," Zero said. "My guess, we'll have some time to get out afterwards before the whole lab suffers the same fate."

"WHAT?!" Hazel, Toad, Amelia, and Serena exclaimed.

"Kai…Dr. Wily…everyone…farewell," Colonel's voice said from the giant robots.

Back in the data world, Colonel began to spark crazily. Suddenly, he exploded in a huge flash of red light. After the explosion there, the computers in the lab began to spark. Small explosions began to appear all over the lab and on the robots.

"What's happening?!" Toad asked.

"The whole building is blowing up!" Amelia shouted as she clicked wildly on her computer's keyboard. "According to my computer, we have 2 minutes before the whole place blows!"

"Kai, how much energy do you have left?" Zero asked.

"Plenty," Kai said.

"Good, then teleport all of us out of here using **Farore's Wind**," Zero said.

Kai then handed Megaman to Zero. He then turned to face Dr. Wily.

"Dr. Wily, hurry and get over here!" Kai shouted.

"What are you doing?!" Serena asked. "He's the **bad** guy!"

Kai ignored Serena.

"This place is gonna blow!" Kai shouted. "Hurry up!"

"What do I have to live for?" Dr. Wily asked. "A life of shame and ridicule?"

"You have to live to pay for what you have done!" Kai shouted. "For Colonel and Iris! You have to live for them!"

Dr. Wily began to laugh. He slowly stopped however.

"Why…do I feel sad all of the sudden," Dr. Wily said. "I thought that I had thrown away all of my kindness when I separated Colonel and Iris."

"Humans aren't computers," Zero said. "You can't just delete a part of you forever. All of your feelings will live on in you forever."

"Don't be stupid!" Dr. Wily shouted.

"If you can make up for all you've done, then maybe…you can help the world!" Kai exclaimed. "You could use your mind to help the world instead of hurt it!"

"Me…help the world…" Dr. Wily said.

He then laughed weakly.

"You've given me a chance to see my dream once more," Dr. Wily finished.

"His dream?" Zero asked.

"Hurry!" Kai shouted.

The explosions became more rapid.

"The whole lab is about to blow," Dr. Wily said. "Kai Kamai…don't ever make the same mistakes that I did. Never get rid of that kindness you hold."

Dr. Wily hit a button on a nearby keyboard. A golden light appeared on the tiles below Kai and his friends. Suddenly, they all teleported out of the room. They reappeared outside of the lab. Suddenly, the whole place blew up. Kai and his friends were blown backwards by the force of the explosion. When they stopped moving, they all got up.

"He…saved us?" Toad asked.

"What did he mean by his dream?" Zero asked.

Amelia opened up her laptop. She was surprised to find a new window on it.

"I think I know," Amelia said. "He must've sent this e-mail to me as we got out. Apparently, when he made Colonel, before he disappeared, he wanted to create a program that would create virtual protectors that could appear in the real world and protect the world. He also told me that the he disappeared after his friend died in a war in the past. That's when he apparently became cold and evil."

"That war must've been the one against Sephiroth," Toad said. "So the after-effects of that war still exist even today?"

"I guess," Hazel said.

Kai looked at the smoking ruins of the lab.

"You know what I've just realized?" Hazel asked.

Everyone except Kai looked towards her.

"Kai has never let a sentient villain die unless either the guy was evil-incarnate or Kai was unable to save him," Hazel said.

"True," Zero said. "Most of the villains we've ever fought are either sitting in prison or hidden away somewhere."

"I guess Kai's too kind-hearted for his own good," Serena said.

Megaman woke up. Zero and Amelia helped to get Megaman on his feet. Hazel continued to heal Captain Falcon, who was still hurt from his battle.

"What happened?" Megaman asked.

"You're in the real world," Amelia said. "We'll explain everything at the computer room."

Everyone began to leave. Hazel stopped and looked over to Kai, who was still standing where he had been.

"You coming?" Hazel asked.

Kai looked towards her.

"Sure," Kai said.

Kai began to follow his friends. Meanwhile, Sephiroth and his two men were watching Kai and his friends through a crystal ball.

"Kai grows stronger every day," one of the men said. "Defeating that Cybeast was no easy feat."

"Lord Sephiroth, do you believe that Kai is ready?" the second of the men asked.

"Not yet," Sephiroth said. "Let's continue observing them before we activate that plan…"


	31. Chapter 31: What Lurks Below

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 31: What Lurks Below**

Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, and Serena were finally back in the sea.

"It feels good to be sailing again!" Serena exclaimed.

"It's too bad Amelia decided not to join us," Kai said.

A flashback began of Kai and his friends in the Computer Room with Amelia, Captain Falcon, and Megaman.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Kai asked.

"I really do want to, but they need me here," Amelia said. "Getting the net navis in the real world will be hard without my help. Plus, I'm sure I'd just be a hindrance to you guys."

"I'm sure that you wouldn't," Kai said.

"My mind's made up," Amelia said. "Please be careful on your journey."

"We will," Toad said.

"And thank you for everything," Megaman said.

Kai gave Megaman the thumbs-up. The flashback then ended.

"But it'll be good to get back to Everwood," Hazel said. "I want to add the books we have back at Everwood to the ones that Captain Falcon stocked on our ship."

"I'm excited about getting home too!" Kai exclaimed. "I miss all of the food!"

That night, everyone slept while the ship was on autopilot. Kai then heard something from outside. He quietly got up and walked outside. He then saw a huge shadow in the water.

"What's that?" Kai thought.

He then saw as a giant, blue, powerful-looking fish Pokemon jumped out of the water and over the ship.

"What was that?!" Kai shouted.

The ship began to shake. Kai realized that whatever had jumped above him was tackling the ship.

"What's going on?" Toad asked as Kai's friends stepped outside.

"We're under attack!" Kai shouted.

Everyone drew their weapons and prepared for an attack. The ship stopped shaking, and all was silent.

"Is it still there?" Toad whispered.

The ship shook once more, and the blue Pokemon jumped over the ship and shot Kai's friends with a gush of water. After blasting them, it dove back under the water.

"What was that?!" Zero shouted.

"I think it was Kyogre!" Hazel shouted.

"Kyogre?" Kai asked.

"Kyogre is a legendary Pokemon that rules the seas," Hazel said. "He can cause tidal waves and storms. He once battled another legendary Pokemon named Groudon, who held dominance over the land and caused droughts. But according to legend, the two Pokemon fell asleep for eternity."

"Maybe their alarm clock went off," Toad joked.

"This isn't the time for jokes," Zero said. "We are at that thing's mercy as long as we are at sea. We have to reach dry land immediately."

"The nearest patch of land is the Delfigalo Continent," Hazel said. "At Station Square!"

"Isn't that the city where we first fought Eggman?" Kai asked.

"Yep," Zero said.

Suddenly, Kyogre rose from the waters once more.

"It's back!!" Toad shouted.

Kyogre prepared another attack, but Kai was ready. Kyogre launched another gush of water, but Kai used his **Nayru's Love** to reflect the attack back at it. Kyogre was hit by its own attack and fell into the ocean.

"Do you think it'll come back?" Toad asked.

"I hope not," Kai said.

They soon came to their destination, Station Square. Once they stepped onto dry land, they immediately headed for the hotel.

"Two rooms," Hazel said when she walked up to the clerk. "One of them needs to be able to hold three people."

"Not a problem," the clerk said. "I'll get your room keys."

The clerk left the room. Kai and his friends sat down in chairs in the lobby.

"I guess with nowhere else to go, we'll just spend the night here," Hazel said. "We have to find some way of getting past Kyogre."

"It's probably pissed that we hit it like that," Kai said.

"Yes," Zero said. "In any case, if we can find the cause of Kyogre's awakening, it might make life easier."

Hazel looked deep in thought.

"What is it?" Toad asked.

"If Kyogre is awake, does that mean that Groudon is as well?" Hazel asked. "And if that's the case, where is he?"

Toad then saw a Mushroom Person wearing desert clothes pass by.

"Isn't that a resident of Dry Dry Outpost?" Toad asked.

The rest of them then noticed the Mushroom Person.

"Maybe he's on vacation," Kai suggested.

"But take a look!" Serena exclaimed.

They saw that more of the residents of the Dry Dry Desert were passing through the lobby.

"Is there a national holiday in the desert?" Kai asked.

"Not one that I know of," Serena said.

"Lady Serena!" a familiar voice shouted.

They turned around towards the source of the voice. Surprisingly, the person standing there and waving was Jaramillo.

"Jaramillo?!" Serena exclaimed.

Jaramillo and a few thieves ran up to her.

"It's been forever, Lady Serena!" Jaramillo exclaimed.

"First of all, you don't have to call me 'Lady Serena' any more," Serena said. "I'm not your boss."

"Sorry," Jaramillo said. "Force of habit."

"And secondly, why are you here?" Serena asked. "Why aren't you in the desert?"

"All of us are here," Jaramillo said. "Ever since 'that' happened."

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"Just recently, something strange happened to us," Jaramillo said.

A flashback began. Jaramillo was walking through a hall.

"I was doing my daily patrol, as usual, when I saw an intruder," Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo saw a man with long, silver hair ahead of him.

"You there!" Jaramillo shouted. "You aren't allowed in here!"

The man turned around. He had a cold look on his face.

"The moment I saw his face, I knew he was someone not to mess with," the present Jaramillo narrated. "His eyes were filled with evil and a dark aura surrounded him."

"Wait a minute!" Toad shouted. "What did he look like again?"

The flashback was interrupted.

"He had silver hair and a dark look on his face," Jaramillo answered. "Why?"

Kai's face suddenly turned serious.

"Sephiroth," Kai said coldly.

"Anyway…" Jaramillo continued.

The flashback resumed. Jaramillo was shaking with fear at the sight of Sephiroth.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood," Sephiroth said menacingly. "Normally, I'd shove my sword straight through your heart, but I want to see you and your remaining friends suffer."

"Remaining?" Jaramillo asked. "Does that mean…"

Sephiroth created a black force of energy that blew Jaramillo backwards. Jaramillo crashed into the wall and was barely conscious. He then saw that Sephiroth had opened a hidden door, leading into a mysterious room. In the room were two strange pedestals. Sephiroth took out two orbs: one was red, and the other was blue.

Sephiroth placed the two orbs on the pedestals. The orbs began to glow brightly.

"Awaken!" Sephiroth shouted.

Two waves of energy, one blue and the other red, shot out from the room. After the waves of energy faded, the ground began to shake. Jaramillo then watched as Sephiroth disappeared.

"Jaramillo!" someone shouted from a hall leading to this one.

A thief ran out.

"We have trouble!" the thief shouted.

Jaramillo stood up, and the two of them ran outside. They saw that the sun was shining brighter, the earth was shaking, and a huge, red monster was standing in the middle of the desert.

"The red monster attacked the town, demolished the base, and took control of the desert," the present Jaramillo narrated.

The flashback ended.

"The remaining thieves came here, as well as the townsfolk," Jaramillo said.

"What happened to Moustafa?" Serena asked.

"He left for the desert before you came," Jaramillo answered.

"We can't let him go alone!" Serena shouted.

"The red monster they mentioned must be Groudon," Hazel said. "If we're going to fight that thing, we had better find its weakness."

"We don't have time for that!" Serena shouted. "For all we know, that thing could kill Moustafa!"

"But jumping in without a strategy of some sort is reckless," Hazel said.

"I agree with Hazel," Zero said.

"I'm in full agreement," Toad said.

Serena clenched her fist.

"Moustafa is one of my closest friends!" Serena shouted with a tear in her eye. "I thought that you, my friends, would…"

"Going out there to kill yourself is stupid!" Zero shouted.

Serena stopped. Zero had a serious look on his face.

"Groudon is a powerful Pokemon," Zero said. "Without some sort of strategy, defeating it will be impossible."

Serena looked down. For the rest of the day, she was silent. That night, Serena snuck past the sleeping Hazel and walked out the door. She immediately went to the train station and bought a ticket. She then stepped onto the train and sat down.

"I knew you would do this," a voice said from behind her.

Serena turned around and saw Kai.

"Kai?!" Serena exclaimed. "What are you…"

"I came to help," Kai said. "I knew that convincing you otherwise was stupid, so I followed you."

"You didn't have to," Serena said in a quiet voice.

"We're friends," Kai said with a smile on his face.

"What about Zero, Hazel, and Toad?" Serena asked.

"Don't worry," Kai said. "I didn't tell them. The three of them are still asleep at the hotel."

Serena was silent for a minute.

"Thank you," Serena finally said.

Kai and Serena continued their train-ride through the night. The following morning, back at the hotel, a loud voice echoed through the halls.

"KAI'S MISSING!!" Toad shouted.

Toad, Zero, and Hazel left their rooms and met up in the hall.

"Serena's gone as well," Hazel said.

"Damn it!" Zero shouted. "Those idiots must've headed to the desert!"

"What should we do?" Hazel asked.

"We have to get Kai back!" Toad answered.

"No," Zero said. "We can't make the same mistake as them. Hazel, you and Toad get the thieves and start looking for information on Groudon and Kyogre."

"What about you?" Hazel asked.

"I'm going to follow Kai and Serena," Zero said. "You should follow me as soon as you find something."

Zero then bit his thumb and formed some hand-signs. He then slammed his hand onto the ground.

"**Summoning Jutsu**!" Zero shouted.

In a cloud of smoke, the small and fast dragon appeared.

"This little guy will stick with you," Zero said. "He'll know exactly where I am thanks to his senses. When you find something, tie a message to the dragon and send it to me."

"Alright," Hazel said.

Zero then rushed out of the room. Zero began to make his way towards the train station.

"I just hope I make it in time," Zero thought.


	32. Chapter 32: The Desert Heat

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 32: The Desert Heat**

The moment that the train arrived at Mt. Rugged, Kai and Serena stepped off. They immediately felt the intense heat coming from the sun.

"It's hotter here than usual," Serena said.

"It must be Groudon," Kai said. "Let's get moving and find him."

Kai and Serena began to cross Mt. Rugged. They soon reached the desert, where the sun was even hotter.

"Damn it," Serena groaned. "It's freaking hot here!"

"That's new," Kai said.

Serena looked towards where Kai was looking. They saw a huge cave protruding from the ground.

"If Groudon isn't there, he isn't anywhere," Serena said.

The two of them entered the dark cave. Once inside, Kai pulled out a torch and used a **Fire** spell to light it. The two of them continued further and further into the cave.

Soon, they heard roars and shaking noises coming from deeper in the cave.

"What's that?" Serena whispered.

Kai and Serena drew their weapons. The noises drew closer and closer. Soon, a group of Growlithe ran past them.

"That's it?!" Kai exclaimed.

Suddenly, an Onix appeared further in the cave. It rapidly tunneled through the cave.

"RUN!!" Kai shouted.

Kai and Serena ran from the giant rock-snake. They continued down the path until a rock that Serena stepped on lowered. Suddenly, a pitfall appeared below them, and the two of them fell. They landed in a deeper portion of the cave. The two of them looked up at the hole they fell down. It was high above them.

"We're not getting out of here anytime soon," Kai said.

Kai and Serena continued further down the cave. They soon heard something from deep inside the cave. There were two Sandslashes ganging-up on a little Riolu.

"What's going on?" Serena asked.

Kai had charged forward and attacked the two Sandslashes. The Sandslashes, realizing their new opponent's strength, dug back underground. Kai and Serena then ran up to Riolu.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked.

Riolu looked up at him.

"I'm fine," Riolu said disappointedly.

"You don't sound fine," Serena said.

Kai saw the huge wound on Riolu's arm.

"Hold on," Kai said.

Kai then cast a **Cure** spell and healed the wound.

"Thank you," Riolu said.

The three of them sat down.

"Why are you down here anyway, little guy?" Serena asked.

"I'm training," Riolu said.

"Training?" Kai asked.

"I want to be strong," Riolu said. "I came to this desert for training. But then the cave opened up and I got lost in here. That's when those guys attacked."

"It's dangerous in here," Serena said. "Something called Groudon is in this cave."

"Seriously?" Riolu asked.

"Yeah," Kai said. "We came here to stop it from hurting anyone. Now go on home, Riolu."

Kai and Serena continued to go down the cave. After a while, Kai noticed that Riolu was following them. Kai turned around.

"This thing is too dangerous for you, little guy," Kai said.

"I want to follow you," Riolu said. "I know I can help somehow!"

"Like we said, this is dangerous," Serena said.

"But I want to help!" Riolu exclaimed.

"But…" Serena began.

Kai put his hand in front of her.

"Didn't we come here, despite warnings from our friends?" Kai asked. "Let's let the little guy come."

A smile grew on Riolu's face.

"But Kai!" Serena exclaimed. "Are you sure?!"

"I am," Kai answered. "Come on Riolu."

Riolu nodded his head and ran up to them.

"By the way, I'm Kai Kamai," Kai said. "This is Serena."

"Hi," Serena said.

Kai, Serena, and Riolu continued down the hole. Meanwhile, back in Central Square, Hazel, Toad, and several thieves, including Jaramillo, were looking through the books. Hazel soon stopped on a book.

"Here it is!" Hazel shouted.

Everyone surrounded him.

"Groudon is one of two legendary Pokemon that control the land and sea," Hazel read. "Groudon uses its dominance over the sun to create droughts while Kyogre uses typhoons and storms to create floods. The two Pokemon battled each other many centuries ago, completely reshaping the world to what we know today."

"So those Pokemon can basically change the world to fit their will?" Jaramillo asked.

"Yes," Hazel said. "Unless we stop them, the whole world could be destroyed by their storms and droughts."

"But just how powerful are they?" Toad asked.

"Extremely powerful," Hazel said. "Especially when they are in their particular domains."

"What are their domains?" Jaramillo asked.

"While Kyogre resides in the sea, Groudon is at his strongest when surrounded by lava," Hazel answered.

"Let's send this info to Zero!" Toad shouted.

The little dragon that Zero had left behind had walked up to Hazel, who was writing a message. She handed the dragon the message.

"Hurry and take this to Zero!" Hazel exclaimed. "The lives of our friends may depend on it!"

The dragon saluted her, rushed outside, spread it wings, and began to fly at high speeds. Back in the cave, Kai, Serena, and Riolu were sweating crazily.

"Is too hot in here!" Serena complained.

"I heard somewhere that Groudon controls heat," Riolu said. "We must be getting close to him."

"I'll be a baked potato by then!" Kai shouted.

They soon saw an opening at the end of the tunnel. The moment they stepped through, the heat grew more intense. Inside was Groudon, sitting in a pool of lava. Around the pool of lava was a ring of land. Kai and his friends were about level with Groudon's chest.

"He's huge!" Kai shouted when he saw the towering Pokemon before them.

Groudon then turned his eyes towards the group.

"Great job, Kai!" Serena shouted angrily.

Groudon then roared, shaking the entire room. Suddenly, a large amount of rocks began to fall from the ceiling. Before anyone else could react, Riolu stepped forward and charged energy into his palms. The energy took the form of what looked like purple fire.

"**FORCE PALM**!" Riolu shouted.

He pushed his palms upwards, shooting the wave of energy into the rocks, destroying them completely.

"Whoa!" Kai and Serena said together.

Groudon then tried to slash them. Kai, Serena, and Riolu began to run around the ring of land. Kai then slid to a stop and pointed his palm towards Groudon.

"Take this!" Kai shouted. "**Din's Fire**!"

Kai launched three giant balls of fire towards Groudon. Groudon seemed unaffected by the attack.

"He's sitting in a pool of lava," Serena said. "Fire's not going to work on this guy!"

Groudon then focused green energy into his mouth.

"Look out!" Serena shouted.

Groudon launched a beam of golden and green energy towards Kai. Kai used **Nayru's Love** in order to defend, but the beam was too strong and destroyed the shield. The force of the blast launched Kai into the wall behind him. Kai bounced off of the wall. Groudon then grabbed Kai and threw him against another wall.

"No you don't!" Serena shouted as she threw five needles.

The needles merely bounced off the monster Pokemon. Groudon then swiped Serena with his claws, knocking her out. Riolu grabbed Serena, but he wasn't strong enough to pull her. Groudon then prepared another energy beam.

"SERENA!!" Kai shouted. "RIOLU!!"

Groudon launched the beam of energy. Suddenly, something small rushed through the cave, grabbed Serena and Riolu and pulled them out of the way. The one who pulled them out of the way of the blast was no other than…

"Moustafa!" Kai exclaimed.

Moustafa carried Serena and Riolu to the entrance of the room. Serena was still asleep at this point. Moustafa gently placed her onto the ground. He then turned to face Riolu.

"Take care of Serena," Moustafa said to Riolu.

Moustafa then rushed back to the room. He took out a vial of a brown liquid.

"Catch!" Moustafa shouted as he threw it towards Kai.

Kai caught the vial and looked at it.

"Drink it!" Moustafa said.

Kai drank the liquid and felt all of his energy return to him.

"What is this stuff?" Kai asked.

"Maple Syrup," Moustafa said. "It's much like Honey Syrup, only more powerful."

"Well, whatever it is, I feel great!" Kai exclaimed.

"One more thing," Moustafa said as he took out another container.

He threw the container towards Kai, who caught it.

"Concentrate your magical power into that container and throw it at Groudon," Moustafa said to the confused Kai.

Kai then focused his magical power into the container, which promptly began to glow white. Kai then threw it at Groudon. The container broke and released a white gas that engulfed Groudon. The heat surrounding Groudon began to decrease.

"His control over heat has temporarily been neutralized!" Moustafa shouted. "Kai, finish him now!"

"Gotcha," Kai replied.

He held his sword to his right.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage, Courage that shines brighter than the Sun_," Kai chanted as his sword transformed into pure energy. "_I pray to thee and I swear to thee. Let my foes be destroyed by the power in my unworthy hand_!"

Groudon roared as Kai's power increased to its peak. Groudon then released a wave of fire towards Kai.

"**Gigaslash**!" Kai shouted.

Kai's sword absorbed the energy from the heat wave as he sliced down upon Groudon. A huge explosion of light and energy filled the room. When the light faded, Groudon was sinking into the lava. Kai landed right next to Moustafa, Riolu, and the unconscious Serena.

"Nice job," Moustafa said.

"Thanks," Kai panted as he sweated rapidly.

"What's going to happen to Groudon?" Riolu asked.

"Groudon will sink into the lava and go into an eternal sleep," Moustafa said. "Now, Kai, I have something for you to throw into the lava."

Moustafa handed Kai a blue orb. Kai then threw it into the lava.

"Without that, Groudon will no longer be forced into a rage," Moustafa said.

"Thanks for your help, Moustafa," Kai said.

Moustafa began to lead Kai, who carried Serena, and Riolu out of the cave.

"Question," Kai said. "What was that stuff in the container?"

"That was a special form of cloud found only in the Sky Tower," Moustafa said.

"What's that?" Kai asked.

"Sky Tower is the home of the legendary Pokemon, Rayquaza," Moustafa answered.

"Rayquaza?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Yes," Moustafa said. "Because Rayquaza has the ability to negate anyone's control on the weather, the clouds around him absorb some of that power. That's why it could negate Groudon's power."

"That's pretty cool," Kai said. "How did you know that?"

"That serious ninja friend of yours gave the stuff to me and told me about it," Moustafa said.

"Did you say 'ninja'?" Kai asked.

They soon reached the outside. Zero was standing outside with his dragon.

"Hey Zero!" Kai exclaimed.

Zero was completely silent. Kai walked up to him, still carrying Serena. Zero hit the unconscious Serena on the head, waking her up with pain.

"What was that for?!" Serena shouted angrily.

"Shut up, you stupid greenhorn!" Zero shouted back.

Serena shut up, and everyone else, besides Moustafa, looked frightened.

"Do you understand the level of danger you waltzed into?!" Zero continued. "If Kai hadn't been there, you would've been dead! And without Hazel's information and Moustafa's speed, you two still would've died! This whole thing is a team effort!"

Serena was silent, but looked sad. Zero took a deep breath and calmed down.

"If there's one thing I've learned from traveling with Kai, it's that everything is a **team** effort," Zero said calmly. "Trying to do everything on your own will get you killed. If you learned anything from this venture, I hope it's that. Let's go back."

Zero began to walk away. Serena got up and began to follow him. Moustafa, Kai, and Riolu then followed them.

"He's kinda scary," Riolu said to Kai.

"Yeah, but he knows exactly what to say," Kai said.

All of them continued back across the desert, with the sun setting over the horizon.


	33. Chapter 33: Inside Lord JabuJabu

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 33: Inside Lord Jabu-Jabu**

"It's a good thing you guys are safe," Hazel said when Kai's group got back to Central Square. "But what's with the blue guy?"

Hazel was referring to Kai's newest companion, Riolu. Riolu looked a bit nervous at meeting new people.

"His name's Riolu," Kai said. "He's a Pokemon."

"Seriously?" Toad asked.

"We met him in Groudon's cave," Serena said.

"I see," Toad said. "Now that Groudon's gone, what do we do now?"

"Stop Kyogre, of course!" Kai exclaimed.

"Let's stop to think about this," Zero said. "Kyogre lives at the bottom of the ocean. Unless you sprout gills, chasing it will be impossible."

"True," Kai said.

"And something tells me that it won't be resurfacing to fight us anymore," Serena said. "But it can still cause the storms while underwater."

"Unless the beast is stopped, the whole world will be underwater within a month," Moustafa said.

"Then how do we fight him?" Kai asked. "It's not like we can breathe underwater."

Hazel suddenly realized something. She ran back into the library.

"What is it, Hazel?" Toad asked.

Hazel ran back outside with a book.

"I remember reading about something!" Hazel exclaimed as she opened up the book. "Do you know about the Zora tribe?"

"Zora?" Kai asked.

"Those are the fish-people that live in Hyrule, right?" Toad asked.

"Yeah," Serena said. "There was a Zora member of the Triad."

"The shinobi one, right?" Toad asked.

"Correct," Serena answered.

"Why do we need to know about the Zora?" Toad asked.

"Well, the Zora of Hyrule were known for their skills at crafting underwater weapons and armor," Hazel said. "One of their greatest achievements was the Zora Armor. By wearing Zora Armor, anyone had the ability to breathe underwater, despite their lack of gills."

"So if we got some of that armor, we could chase after Kyogre?" Toad asked.

"Correct!" Hazel exclaimed as she shut the book.

"But the problem lies in getting across the ocean in this weather," Zero said. "Even if we don't get attacked by Kyogre, the chances of us getting to Hyrule in one piece are…"

"…slim to none," Toad said.

"There has to be some way," Kai said.

"There is," Moustafa said. "Do you remember the cloud you used against Groudon?"

"Yeah, why?" Kai asked.

"The properties of those clouds have the ability to negate weather effects," Moustafa said. "By pouring it on your ship, a weather-proof barrier will surround your ship and protect it from the storm. And, as an added bonus, Kyogre will go nowhere near your ship."

"Then we just have to get some of that cloud," Kai said. "Where do we get it?"

"I have enough for one trip," Moustafa said. "But the stuff will only last for your trip to Hyrule. You'll have to face the storm on your way back."

"We'll have the armor by then," Kai said. "We can just dive underwater and fight him."

"We had better hurry," Hazel said. "The storms are getting stronger and stronger each day."

Kai, Hazel, Toad, Zero, Serena, and Riolu then ran out to their ship. Outside, a storm began to pour down upon them.

"Whoa!" Kai shouted as the wind began to blow harder.

"Let's hurry onto the ship!" Toad shouted.

The six of them then got onto the ship. Once on it, Kai poured the cloud onto the ship. Suddenly, a barrier surrounded the entire ship.

"This is cool!" Riolu exclaimed as the water stopped pouring on top of them.

They then continued to sail to Hyrule. After sailing for a while, they finally reached the shores of Hyrule, which were surprisingly storm-free.

"The storms haven't reached here yet," Zero said. "We'd still better hurry and get that armor."

"Where does the Zora tribe live?" Kai asked.

"Lake Hylia," Hazel answered.

"Lake Hylia?" Kai asked.

"It's a fantastic lake that's famous to all fishermen," Serena said.

"But we have no time to fish," Zero said. "We have to get that armor."

"Let's go!" Riolu exclaimed.

The six of them ran through the lands of Hyrule, asking for many directions, until they finally reached the lake. The majestic lake was huge and beautiful, with a powerful river flowing into it. There were fishermen fishing in the lake, and many shops were scattered across the lake's shore.

"Where do we find the Zora tribe?" Kai asked.

"Up river," Serena said.

They looked at the river, which was roaring powerfully down into the lake.

"I wonder how the lake keeps from overflowing," Kai said.

"Anyway, we have to find some way of getting up there," Hazel said. "Rowing up-river won't be possible."

"But there has to be some…" Toad began.

"FOUND ONE!!" Kai shouted from a distance.

Nobody had noticed that Kai had gone somewhere else. Kai was standing in front of a building with a large cannon on top.

"You have got to be kidding!" Serena exclaimed.

They all ran up to Kai, who was talking to an old man.

"There is no way I'm going to blast myself out of a cannon!" Serena shouted.

"Then I hope you're powerful swimmers," the old man said. "Because the only other way is to climb over Death Mountain and go around."

"That could take days!" Toad complained.

"Then the cannon's your safest bet," the old man said. "I'll even give you a discount on the little fella."

He was referring to Riolu.

"Fine," Hazel said.

After paying the old man the price he asked, they all climbed to the attic of the building. Inside was an opening into the cannon. Inside the cannon was an orb with a seat in it.

"I'll shoot you up there one at a time," the old man said. "Just put on those helmets and step into the cannon."

He pointed towards some helmets. Kai and his friends put on the helmets. Kai was the first one to step into the cannon. Kai sat down into the chair. The old man then closed the orb, closed the cannon's door, and walked over to the controls.

"BLAST OFF!!" the old man shouted as he pulled a lever."

Suddenly, the orb that Kai was in exploded out of the cannon. Kai flew through the air until he reached the top of the river, which had a smaller lake in it.

"I wonder how this thing lands," Kai said as he felt the orb begin to slow down.

The orb then crash-landed onto the shore. Kai dizzily stepped out of the crater the orb made.

"That's why he made us wear those helmets," Kai groaned dizzily.

He shook his head and looked up. Five more orbs began to shoot towards him. Screaming like a maniac, Kai jumped out of the way. The five orbs hit the ground, and Kai's friends stepped out the same way he did. Toad and Hazel looked as if they were about to puke. Riolu had already puked in the small lake.

"At least we're here," Kai said optimistically.

"Lesson learned: next time someone offers to shoot us out of a cannon, take the long way!" Hazel shouted.

She then ran over to the lake and puked.

"At least we're here," Zero said. "Now where are the Zora?"

"There!" Serena shouted as she pointed towards a cave with a small river flowing out of it.

Alongside the river was a path to walk on. Kai's group walked down the path in the dark cave until they saw a light. They walked into the light, and they saw a whole kingdom of Zora.

"Cool!" Kai exclaimed.

They then walked through the kingdom until they found the king, who was an extremely large Zora.

"Who are you?" the king asked.

"We're heroes who wish to obtain some Zora Armor," Hazel said.

The king then looked deep in thought.

"That armor is kinda hard to obtain," the king said. "Plus, our kingdom is having its own problems right now."

"What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"My only daughter, Princess Ruto, went to feed our Lord Jabu-Jabu," the king said.

"Who's Lord Jabu-Jabu?" Toad asked.

"He's our patron deity," the king answered. "Everyday, we send someone to the Zora fountain to feed him. Yesterday, my daughter went to feed him. For some reason, she hasn't returned. I'm worried about her safety."

"How about a deal?" Zero asked. "If we go get your Princess, you make us some of that armor."

"Deal," the king said.

"Alright," Zero said. "It'd be best if we go feed this 'Jabu-Jabu' guy. If we do that, we might be able to find out what had happened to the Princess."

"King, has anyone fed this guy yet?" Kai asked.

"Not yet," the king answered.

"Then let us feed him," Zero said.

"I cannot let all of you go," the king said. "Our tradition dictates that only one can feed the Lord at a time."

"Then I'll go," Kai said.

"Alright," Zero said. "Kai, you go and feed this thing."

The king then pointed out the direction to the fountain. Kai then walked down a long cave until he reached the outside. Once outside, he saw a small lake with a huge frog-like fish the size of a building.

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then looked in the water and saw a bottle with a note inside. Kai uncorked the bottle and pulled out the note. The note was an S.O.S.

"Then this proves that something happened," Kai thought.

He then saw a footnote that said to feed the Lord.

"Ok," Kai said.

Kai then saw that there were fish in the lake. Using a long stick he found nearby, some string in his backpack, and a hook he found, he made a fishing rod. He then found some worms as bait and began to fish. Soon, he caught something on his line. When he pulled up, he found that he had caught a relatively big fish. When Lord Jabu-Jabu saw the fish, his eyes widened hungrily. He then opened his mouth. Suddenly, a huge gush of wind began to pull everything in the area towards his mouth, including Kai.

"CRAP!!" Kai shouted as he was sucked into the creature's mouth.

After swallowing Kai and the fish, Jabu-Jabu closed his mouth. A Zora then appeared from behind a rock. He looked as if he saw a ghost. He immediately ran away from the fountain.

Meanwhile, Kai found himself in the gut of Lord Jabu-Jabu.

"This is gross," Kai said as he looked at slime on the squishy walls.

Kai looked around at his…disgusting surroundings.

"Maybe this is what happened to Princess Ruto," Kai said. "I'll look around for her."

Kai then began his search through the giant fish. Meanwhile, back at the king's throne room…

"KAI'S BEEN EATEN?!" Hazel shouted in shock.

The Zora that had watched everything had told everyone about Kai's fate.

"So Kai became a fish's lunch," Zero said. "Well, I guess it's not the worst thing that's happened to him."

"So Kai's been through worse?" Riolu asked.

"That's right," Toad said. "Including falling through the sky, nearly being killed by a demon, and more."

"Whoa," Riolu said.

"This isn't the time to think about that!" Hazel shouted. "Kai's been eaten! We have to get him out!"

"We might as well wait," Zero said.

Zero then found a place to sit and sat down. He then closed his eyes and seemed to be sleeping.

"He's pretty calm," Riolu said.

"You'll get used to it," Toad replied.

Hazel couldn't help but be worried for Kai's safety. Back inside Jabu-Jabu, Kai was still searching for Princess Ruto in the fish's gut.

"Where could she be?" Kai thought.

Kai then heard a scream coming from in front of him.

"That's a good sign," Kai said to himself as he ran forward.

Though unsure of where the scream came from, Kai continued forward in order to find the Princess and obtain the much-needed armor.


	34. Chapter 34: BioElectric Anemone

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 34: Bio-Electric Anemone: Barinade**

Kai continued to follow the sound of the screams. Following the voice soon got him into a large room. Inside the room was a young, female Zora being attacked by two giant, floating jellyfish.

"Somebody help me!" the Zora cried.

Kai then charged forward. As he ran, he blew away one of the jellyfish using **Din's Fire**. After destroying the first, he charged for the second.

"Now for the kill!" Kai thought.

He sliced down on the jellyfish. Though the jellyfish was destroyed, Kai felt a painful jolt of electricity flow through him. He immediately fell to his knees from the pain.

"Note to self: do not slice jellyfish ever again," Kai said.

Kai then stood up. He then turned towards the Zora.

"Are you Princess Ruto?" Kai asked.

"What are you doing in here?!" the Zora shouted angrily.

"I'm going to assume 'yes'," Kai said. "And I came to rescue you."

"I don't need rescuing," Ruto said. "I can get out by myself."

"Then explain the jellyfish," Kai said.

Ruto looked extremely upset.

"Listen, you can follow me all you want, but I'm getting out by myself!" Ruto shouted angrily.

Ruto then began to walk away. Almost immediately, she began to sink down a hole in the floor. Before Kai could reach her, she disappeared.

"I'm coming!" Kai shouted.

He then jumped into the hole. He slowly slid through the slimy tunnel, with its walls pulling him further and further down. Soon, he slid out of the tunnel. At the other side of the tunnel, however, was a huge fall. He then fell to the bottom of the room. After crashing, he looked up at how far he fell.

"Just how big is this guy?!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then looked around for Princess Ruto.

"Princess Ruto?" Kai asked. "Where are you?"

Kai then walked into another room. Inside the room was Princess Ruto. She was standing atop a platform.

"Now will you let me help you?" Kai asked.

Princess Ruto looked angry.

"Fine," she groaned. "I'll let you carry me."

She then jumped into Kai's arms.

"I can't fight if I'm carrying you!" Kai shouted.

"Do you expect me to walk?!" Princess Ruto shouted. "I am royalty!"

"You are a royal pain in the ass," Kai whispered.

"What was that?!" Princess Ruto asked.

"Nothing," Kai immediately replied.

Kai continued to carry Princess Ruto through the guts. After a while, they reached another room with a platform. Kai then placed Ruto onto the platform. Before he could do anything, the platform began to rise. Soon, Ruto disappeared into a hole in the ceiling.

"Ruto!" Kai shouted.

Suddenly, Kai heard Ruto scream from above the ceiling.

"What is this?!" Ruto screamed. "An octopus?!"

Suddenly, the platform began to fall again, but on top of it wasn't Ruto: it was a giant octopus with a shell. It began to chase Kai around the platform. Kai turned around and tried to slash down onto the creature, but its shell protected it.

"What the?!" Kai exclaimed.

The octopus then swiped Kai away with one of its arms. Kai painfully smashed into a nearby wall. Kai then saw as the octopus turned around. He saw some sort of bulge on its back.

"That's it!" Kai thought.

The octopus then charged straight for Kai. Kai jumped out of the way for a dodge. He then sliced the bulge with his sword. The octopus was immediately destroyed.

"That was easy," Kai said to himself.

He then hopped onto the platform. The platform immediately began to rise up. When he reached the top, he saw some sort of strange creature. Its body was covered in blue, hexagon-shaped armor pieces and it had three tentacles, all of which connected it to the ceiling. On its body were two, strange body parts that looked like satellites of a television.

The satellites then shot beams of lightning towards Kai. Kai swiftly jumped out of the way, but they launched another beam towards him. Kai then charged for the base of the creature. When he hit the armor, however, a surge of electricity flowed through his sword and hurt him. The force of the electricity forced him against the wall.

"How do I fight this thing?!" Kai thought.

Kai then came up with an idea. He reached for his waist for his bomb-rocks, but he couldn't find the bag.

"What the?!" Kai exclaimed. "Where are my rocks?!"

He then realized that he must've lost them when he was fighting that octopus earlier.

"Of all the times!" Kai thought.

Kai then jumped to a safe location and began to dig through his bag for a solution. After a while, he found something that he didn't know was there. It was a small, blue bag that was similar to his bomb-rock bag. He looked at the bag and found a note attached. Kai read the following on the note:

"Hey, Kai. I thought I'd surprise you with a little gift that Toadsworth sent me. It's the latest of Professor E. Gadd's inventions, and he wants you to be the first to test it. Inside should be a pretty cool weapon. I don't know what it is, but I hope you like it. –Toad"

Kai opened up the bag and found shuriken.

"How can shuriken be considered a new weapon?!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then saw the creature launch another beam of energy, so he jumped out of the way to dodge.

"I've never used these things before, but I might as well give them a shot," Kai thought.

He then grabbed a few shuriken and threw them at the tentacles. Out of the five he tossed, three of them got stuck in the tentacles. The other two got stuck in a nearby wall.

"That sucks," Kai said to himself.

Suddenly, all five shuriken produced huge explosions. The creature screamed in pain as its tentacles were severed by the blast. Kai looked shocked at his new weapon. He then found another note in the bag, and began to read it:

"This is my latest invention: the Ninja-Bomber (how do you like the name?). Anyway, the way you use these little weapons is the same as your bomb-rocks, but with a little twist. Because of sensitive sensors in the bombs, their timers will only activate after they are thrown. After a set amount of time, the bombs will explode. I believe that they're better than your old bomb-rocks. –E. Gadd."

"Thank you, Professor!" Kai exclaimed happily.

Kai then watched as the armor surrounding it came off. The armor was revealed to be more large jellyfish, which would explain the shock. The jellyfish were connected to the creature by strings of electricity. The jellyfish then began to spin around the creature. Kai waited for his opportunity to charge in. Once he found his chance, he ran in and sliced the creature's core. Once Kai slashed it, the creature exploded.

"I guess the core was sensitive," Kai thought. "Now where is Ruto?"

Kai looked around, but he didn't see her.

"UP HERE YOU IDIOT!!" Ruto shouted.

Kai looked up and saw that Ruto was attached to the ceiling by some sticky stuff.

"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!" Ruto screamed.

After a while, Kai got Ruto back on the ground.

"Maybe that thing was why Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed us," Ruto said. "He's never done that before. It must've been hurting him."

"I guess," Kai replied. "But what was that thing doing in there?"

"I'm not sure," Ruto said. "The point is that it's gone. Now what do we do?"

"Now we should find our way out," Kai answered.

Kai and Ruto began to find their way through the fish. That night, Hazel was forcing her way to the fountain, with three Zoras trying to pull her back.

"You can't go in there!" one of them shouted. "It's forbidden!"

"I don't care if going in there will blow up the entire freaking kingdom!" Hazel shouted back. "Kai was eaten, and I'm going to get him out!"

Zero, Toad, Riolu, and Serena were following them.

"I thought I told her not to worry," Zero said.

"It's been hours now," Serena said. "What do you expect?"

They reached Lord Jabu-Jabu just as Kai and Ruto walked out.

"Kai!" Hazel exclaimed happily.

"Told ya," Zero said.

They all ran up to Kai.

"Thanks for the gift," Kai said to Toad when he got the chance.

Everyone else looked confused, but Toad looked happy.

"No problem," Toad said. "So what was in the bag?"

"I'll explain later," Kai said. "Right now, let's get that armor!"

The following morning, Kai and his friends were wearing the amazing Zora armor. Strangely, the armor was merely blue versions of their regular clothes. Riolu wore a jumpsuit of a different shade than his fur.

"How come the armor looks just like our regular clothes?" Kai asked.

"Because I had them custom made to match your clothes," the king answered.

"But that would've taken a long time!" Serena exclaimed.

"Not if you have a bunch of the best Zora tailors working at the same time," Ruto answered.

"Does this stuff really work?" Kai asked.

"Test it out for yourself in Lake Hylia," the king answered.

Later that day, Kai dove into the vast lake. He immediately found that he could breathe underwater. He then swam back up, where his friends were waiting for him.

"It works!" Kai exclaimed happily.

"Then we have our weapon," Zero said.

"And not a moment to spare," Hazel said. "Look!"

She pointed towards the shores of Hyrule. Black storm clouds were floating towards Hyrule.

"Then we haven't a moment to lose," Zero said. "Our next mission lies underwater."

"Question: how do we get far enough at sea?" Toad asked. "I doubt our ship will be able to last in that storm for long."

"Since we can swim faster and breath underwater, we could just leave the ship here as we chase after Kyogre," Kai suggested.

"That'll take too long," Serena said.

"We can help," Ruto said from behind them.

They all turned towards Ruto.

"Zora technology goes far beyond the armor you're wearing," Ruto said. "Take this."

She handed Toad a strange device with a red button on it.

"Press the button when you're far enough at sea," Ruto said. "Trust me on this."

Toad looked strangely at his gift.

"Thanks," Kai said.

"Good luck," the king Zora said.

Soon, Kai and his friends were far at sea and were face-to-face with the storm.

"Do you think we're far enough out yet?!" Kai shouted through the sound of the storm.

"I guess!" Toad shouted back.

Toad then pressed the button. Suddenly, a strange bubble surrounded the ship. The ship then began to dive underwater, like a submarine. They were soon completely underwater.

"This is cool," Kai said. "It's like we're in a sub."

Serena then reached her hand through the bubble. Her hand went through without popping the bubble.

"And we can go through it without getting the ship wet," Serena said as she pulled back her wet hand.

"Alright," Kai said. "Let's chase down that Kyogre!"

The ship continued to sail through the sea (literally), as Kai and his friends searched for the elusive and dangerous Kyogre.


	35. Chapter 35: Undersea Cavern

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 35: Undersea Cavern**

Kai and his friends continued to sail through the sea in search of the dangerous Kyogre. The view underwater was fascinating. Kai watched as underwater Pokemon, such as Chinchou and Remoraid, swam above them. Kai especially enjoyed the sight of the gigantic Wailord swimming past them.

"Everything's so beautiful!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Let's not lose focus," Zero said.

Zero was the only one that was extremely focused on the mission.

"We can relax a little," Hazel said. "Anything as huge as Kyogre won't be missed."

"But we can't be 100 sure," Zero said. "We have to keep focused."

"Maybe Kyogre is like Groudon," Kai said.

"What do you mean?" Riolu asked.

"Groudon built an underground cave to rest in," Kai said. "Maybe Kyogre did the same."

"That does make sense," Serena said. "But there have to be hundreds of undersea caves. We can't check them all."

"Are all caves as big as that one?" Toad asked.

They all looked towards where Toad was looking. They saw a gigantic mountain under the sea with a large opening on once side.

"That'll work," Kai said.

"Alright," Zero said. "Into that cave!"

The ship sailed straight into the cave. Once inside, they sailed through the cave until they got above the water. They had docked in the cave.

"Alright," Hazel said. "Fighting on dry land should be easier than fighting underwater."

"Let's get moving," Zero said.

The six of them began through the cave, using Toad's **Fire** spell as a light once again. They traveled deeper and deeper into the dark and empty cave. Soon, they saw a small pool of water.

"Maybe we have to dive in," Kai said.

The six of them then dove into the pool. They swam deeper and deeper down a seemingly endless tunnel. As they swam deeper, the light faded more and more. Soon, it was pitch black, but Kai and his friends continued forward. Eventually, they saw a bright light ahead.

"Almost there!" Serena shouted.

They then swam into the light. Once there, they resurfaced and saw where they were. Ahead of them was a huge kingdom.

"What the heck?!" Toad exclaimed.

"What's that?!" Riolu asked.

"I think I know," Hazel said. "But it can't be."

"What can't be?" Kai asked.

"This must be the underwater city of Atlantis!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Atlantis?!" everyone else exclaimed.

"I thought it was a myth," Hazel said.

"It's a myth back in my world too," Kai said.

"I'd say that it's real," Zero said.

Kai's group them got out of the water and began to walk through the city. The city was populated by Zora and water Pokemon like Corphish and Totodile.

"This is cool!" Kai exclaimed.

They made their way to the exact center of town, where a large castle was. They walked inside and saw something surprising. A Zora at least twice as large as the Zora king from Hyrule, was sitting on a throne at the other end of the first room.

"I welcome you to Atlantis, Kai and friends," the king said.

"How do you know who we are?" Kai asked.

"Water Pokemon of our kingdom who travel to the surface always bring back tales of adventurers," the king answered. "You all are quite famous under the sea."

"That's pretty cool," Kai said.

"I assume you know why we're here then," Hazel said.

"I have an idea," the king said. "It's about our undersea god, Kyogre."

"Undersea god?" Toad asked.

"We consider him a god because he brought us the sea," the king continued. "It was thousands of years ago, about the time when the world was formed, that Kyogre and Groudon created the borders of land and sea. They then fell asleep, which preserved the world for these many years. But now that Kyogre has awakened, everything is in chaos. Kyogre's storm is flooding the world and his rampage underwater is bringing about terror to the undersea life."

"So unless we do something, the whole world's basically screwed, right?" Serena asked.

"Yes," the king said.

"Alright then," Kai said. "Then we know what to do! We have to find Kyogre, kick his butt, and save the world!"

"Just to let you know, you aren't the first group to come down here," the king said.

Kai and his friends all looked shocked.

"In fact, two other groups came before you," the king said. "They're in the room beyond that door."

Kai and his friends ran towards the door that the king pointed to. Once inside, they saw four extremely familiar faces.

"Kai!" Pikachu exclaimed.

Pikachu, Alakazam, Tyranitar, and Charizard surrounded Kai.

"Pikachu?!" Kai exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

"We came here to find out about the weather problems," Alakazam said. "We asked Pikachu here to accompany us. We were surprised to see the other two who came before us."

Kai and his friends looked around Team A.C.T. and Pikachu. They saw Erika and Tsubasa.

"Erika?!" Hazel exclaimed. "Tsubasa?!

"Yo!" Erika smiled.

"What are you doing down here?!" Zero asked.

"That's…a secret," Erika said.

Kai and Tsubasa walked up to each other and shook hands.

"It's been a while," Kai said.

"Too long, my friend," Tsubasa said.

Riolu was staring with awe at Team A.C.T. Toad was the first to notice this.

"What's wrong?" Toad asked.

"Th…that's Team A.C.T.!" Riolu exclaimed. "How do you know Team A.C.T.?!"

"They're our buds," Toad said.

"WHOA!" Riolu exclaimed. "These guys are extremely famous!"

"How about we get back to the task at hand," Alakazam said. "We have to stop Kyogre."

"Kyogre can be found in a cave behind this town," the king said as he entered the room. "The cave is extremely deep, and it's easy to get lost. But at the end of the cavern is a large room where Kyogre rests in a deep pool. You have to stop him, Kai Kamai and friends."

"It'll be no problem," Kai said. "Let's head out!"

"We'd be best to wait until morning," Erika said. "It's quite late right now."

Everyone except Erika looked confused.

"We're in a cave underwater," Toad said. "How do you know what time it is?"

"I brought a watch," Erika said.

Erika showed them her watch.

"That works," Hazel said.

"Let's get to bed then," Zero said. "We're leaving bright and early."

That night, everyone slept in the guest rooms of the castle. But there was one person who could not sleep. Kai was sitting in a chair in the hall. He looked deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" Zero asked from behind him.

Kai jumped as soon as he heard Zero, because he had thought he was alone.

"When did you…" Kai asked.

"I'm a ninja," Zero said. "If I'm not silent, then I can't be very good."

"Right," Kai said.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Zero asked.

"Several things," Kai said. "One: why is Sephiroth trying to flood the world? If he had spent time gathering the Divine Medallion shards, why would he just jump to that plan?"

"That's what I've been thinking," Zero said.

"But there's one more thing," Kai said.

"Let me guess: how did Erika know to come down here?" Zero said.

"Right," Kai said. "I can understand Team A.C.T. and Pikachu. Rescue Teams can get information on almost anything. But Tsubasa said that Erika led him here without doing any research at all."

"I'm not sure about that either," Zero said. "I've also noticed that she seems to be at the right place at the right time whenever she shows up. She even has all kinds of information when she does show up."

Kai looked even deeper in thought now. After a moment of silence, Zero broke the silence.

"We should head back to bed," Zero said. "We're getting up early."

"Right," Kai said. "Let's go."

Kai and Zero then went back to bed. The following morning, Kai and his friends began to trek through the cave. As they traveled deeper and deeper through the dark and damp cave, they felt as if the tunnels were endless. They saw water Pokemon in the cave as they walked by.

"This place is far," Hazel said.

Erika looked at her watch.

"Look at the time!" Erika exclaimed. "We had better eat some lunch."

"In the middle of a cave?" Toad asked.

"We have light," Erika said, pointing to Toad's **Fire** spell.

"I'll keep the fire lit," Alakazam said.

He pointed his spoons toward the fireball. Suddenly, a psychic orb surrounded the fireball. Toad no longer had to concentrate his magic.

"That's pretty cool," Toad said.

They began to eat a lunch that Erika had packed.

"Do you mind telling us how you knew about where the cave was?" Kai asked Erika after a while.

Erika turned to face Kai.

"Sorry," Erika said. "I can't tell you now. I promise that I'll tell you eventually."

"Why can't you tell us now?" Hazel asked.

"Well…" Erika began.

Suddenly, they heard a roar from deep in the cave.

"That must be Kyogre," Alakazam said.

"Let's hurry!" Kai exclaimed.

They then quickly finished their lunches and continued through the cave. They soon reached a gigantic room with a deep pool of water in the center of it. Everything in the room was quiet.

"Where's Kyogre?" Serena asked.

"He must be underwater," Charizard said.

Erika then saw a bunch of mysterious shadows crawl across the floor.

"GET BACK!" Erika shouted.

Everyone jumped back as the shadows took form. They rose up into strange, black creatures that Kai had never seen before.

"What are those?" Hazel asked.

"Shadow Sentries," Erika said. "But how is that possible?!"

"How do you know what those are?" Kai asked.

"Fight now! Ask later!" Erika shouted.

They began to fight off the army of Shadow Sentries. Kai and Tsubasa took down enemies one at a time with their blades. Zero threw shuriken to damage multiple at once. He would then charge forward and draw his katana to kill them while they were stunned. Hazel and Serena teamed up. Hazel would block a group of charging enemies with a barrier, and Serena would immediately strike them down with her needles. Toad blasted his enemies away with spells.

Erika used her speed and ninja skills to take down the enemies. Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar used their teamwork and abilities to wipe out many at a time. Pikachu paralyzed his enemies with electric shocks, and Riolu would finish them with physical attacks. But the more they took down, the more enemies would show up.

"How do we beat these things?!" Hazel shouted.

"Most of them are merely clones," Erika said. "There should be a leader somewhere. Take him out, and the rest should disappear completely."

Kai looked confused, but he didn't say anything. Kai then looked around for the leader, but they all looked the same.

"Which one?!" Kai asked.

"It has a unique energy signal," Erika said. "Riolu should be able to use his Aura abilities to find him."

"Aura abilities?" Toad asked.

"Riolu and their evolved form, Lucario, have the ability to sense aura," Erika answered. "He's our only hope right now."

"But I've never done something like this!" Riolu exclaimed.

"I trust you, buddy," Kai said.

Riolu then closed his eyes, and his ears rose with a strange energy. Suddenly, he could see the aura of the different creatures. He soon spotted one that was different.

"Ahead," Riolu said. "The third enemy on the left."

"Got him," Zero said.

Zero jumped into the air and got above the enemy Riolu pointed out. He then began to form hand-signs.

"**FIREBALL JUTSU**!" Zero shouted.

He launched a huge fireball from his mouth. The fireball completely engulfed the Shadow Sentry and destroyed it. Suddenly, all of the other Shadow Sentries disappeared.

"Like I said," Erika said. "Destroy the leader, and the rest fall like dominoes."

"Great job, Riolu!" Hazel exclaimed happily.

"That was impressive," Pikachu said.

"Alright," Zero said once he rejoined the rest. "Let's find Kyogre."

"You've already found him!" a mysterious voice echoed.

Erika looked scared.

"No…" Erika said. "Not here! Not now!"

They all saw as Kyogre rose from the pool of water, but he was not alone. A man in a black robe was standing on top of him.

"It's been a while, Erika," the man said.

He then removed his hood. He had scar across his left eye and had red eyes.

"Junpei," Erika said angrily. "Why did you follow me!"

"Because you're a little fugitive, Erika," Junpei said. "The King wants your head."

"What's going on?" Toad asked.

"It doesn't matter," Junpei said. "I'll first kill Kai for Sephiroth, and then capture you for the king."

"So he's working for Sephiroth!" Kai exclaimed. "Where is he?!"

"That doesn't matter," Junpei said. "You'll soon be dead. Kyogre, destroy them!"

Kyogre then opened his mouth and launched a gush of water. Hazel created a barrier to block the attack, but the water burst through anyway. Every one of them was forced into the walls.

"Why is Kyogre listening to him?" Zero groaned.

"He has the ability to control weak minds," Erika answered. "That's how he is able to control the Shadow Sentries. Because Kyogre was in a rage from being awakened, he was easy to control."

"This whole thing is still confusing, but I can beat him if I can get some time to charge," Kai said.

"We'll hold him off," Alakazam said.

"Right!" everyone agreed.

Everyone except Kai and Hazel charged for Kyogre.

"I'll protect you while you charge up," Hazel said.

"Thanks," Kai said.

Hazel surrounded the two of them with a barrier. Everyone else then caught the attention of Kyogre and Junpei.

Kai began his incantation. Throughout the incantation, his sword transformed into pure energy. Soon, he finished the spell.

Junpei then noticed Kai.

"Kyogre, destroy him!" Junpei shouted. "Hurry!"

Kyogre then launched a gush of water towards Kai.

"**Gigaslash**!" Kai shouted.

He then sliced through the attack. The energy shot through the gush and struck Kyogre. After a huge explosion of energy, Kyogre had fallen into the water. Junpei had crashed into a nearby wall.

"Kyogre should return to sleep now," Tyranitar said.

"Now then," Zero said. "Let's get down to business."

They all surrounded Junpei.

"Who are you?!" Zero shouted. "Start talking!"

Junpei opened his eyes.

"How about I show you," Junpei said.

Junpei opened his left hand to reveal some sort of charm. Erika immediately recognized it.

"GET BACK NOW!!" Erika shouted.

Junpei then activated the charm. A strange vortex appeared in front of them. While everyone else managed to jump out of the way, Erika, Kai, and Junpei had been sucked into the portal.

"What's happening?!" Kai shouted as he was sucked into the portal.

He was soon gone.

"KAI!" Hazel shouted.

"What happened?!" Toad exclaimed.

"Where did they go?!" Zero shouted.

Kai, Erika, and Junpei fell deeper and deeper through the portal.

"Am I going into another world?" Kai thought. "No. This portal's different. It feels…strange."

Kai continued to spin through the vortex until he blacked out.


	36. Chapter 36: Age of Darkness

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 36: Age of Darkness**

Drip. Kai felt a drop of water hit his head.

"Water?" Kai thought.

Drip. A second drop of water hit his head. Kai then slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a jail cell. The walls were completely black and white, and his sword was missing. On his right wrist was a strange band.

"Where am I?" Kai asked.

"Crimson Island," Erika said from behind him.

Kai turned around. Erika was right behind him. She also had the same band on her wrist, and her weapons were also missing.

"What's going on?" Kai asked.

"Maybe looking outside will explain some things," Erika said. "There's a window on the wall."

Kai then looked through the window that Erika pointed out. Everything was completely black and white. Kai could not see any color at all.

"What's going on?!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then fell onto the floor and looked towards Erika.

"We probably don't have much time before our execution, so I'll be quick," Erika said. "This is the future."

"Future?!" Kai exclaimed.

"One hundred years in fact," Erika said. "I'd like to explain more, but I hear the guards coming."

"One hundred years?" Kai thought.

The door to the cell then opened up. Two men in black cloaks were at the door.

"Get over here!" one man shouted.

"How about you taste a **Din's Fire**!" Kai shouted.

Kai focused his magic, but the moment he did, a large electric surge shot painfully through his body.

"What was that?" Kai asked.

"The wristband," Erika said. "If you try casting magic while wearing it, you get hurt."

"Get moving!" the man in the black robe shouted.

The two men led Kai and Erika through the halls. They were soon led to a large room with two poles. The two of them were then tied to the poles.

"Where are we?" Kai asked.

"The Gallows," Erika said. "We're about to be executed."

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai then saw a familiar, yet evil face walk into the room.

"Junpei!" Erika shouted.

"I never thought that I'd get the pleasure of watching Kai get executed here," Junpei said. "I guess I get to kill two birds with one stone. Sableye!"

He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a bunch of Pokemon that Kai had never seen before had rushed into the area. They had sapphire eyes and sharp claws.

"We like to use Sableye to perform our executions here," Junpei said. "They make things slow and painful for our criminals."

"Kai, I have a plan," Erika whispered. "You'll have to endure some pain, however."

"We're going to die if we don't do anything," Kai whispered. "What's the plan?"

"The Sableye will slash at us until we die," Erika whispered. "But they might accidentally slice the ropes before they kill us. That one chance is our window of escape. As soon as the ropes weaken, charge forward."

"Got it," Kai whispered back.

"NOW!" Junpei shouted.

The Sableye began to slash Kai and Erika. Kai felt extreme pain with every slice.

"Damn!" Kai groaned in pain.

"Hold…on…a…bit…longer!" Erika groaned.

Suddenly, Kai saw that the ropes were weakening.

"That's it!" Kai thought.

The ropes got weaker and weaker.

"Now!" Erika shouted.

Kai and Erika charged forward. They burst right through the ropes and began to run away.

"Don't let them escape!" Junpei shouted.

Erika led Kai through the prison.

"I memorized a blueprint of this building," Erika said. "The weapons vault should be just ahead."

Erika pulled Kai through a nearby door. Inside were Kai's sword and Erika's ninja tools.

"Perfect," Erika said. "Now we can escape."

Erika and Kai continued to run through the prison, using their weapons to charge through any obstacle. They ran around the labyrinth-like prison until they reached their escape. They were free.

"Damn!" Junpei shouted as he slammed his fist on a wall.

Kai and Erika ran further and further away from the prison. Once they were sure that they had lost their pursuers, they took a break to catch their breath.

"I think we're safe for now," Erika said. "Let's catch our breath and continue as soon as possible."

"Where are we going?" Kai asked.

"To the rebel base," Erika said. "That's the only truly safe area right now."

"Rebel base?" Kai asked.

"I'll explain everything once we get there, but we have to get there first," Erika said. "I think I hear someone coming. Let's move!"

Erika continued to lead Kai through the colorless land. Along the way, Kai saw many horrible sights: pits of complete darkness, destroyed villages, ruined castles, and more.

"So much has happened in a hundred years," Kai thought.

Soon, Erika stopped at a huge rock wall.

"Here we are," Erika said.

"A wall?" Kai asked.

Erika stepped forward. She then pressed six stones into the wall. Suddenly, a trapdoor appeared below them. Kai and Erika fell down a long slide. They fell further and further until they landed on a padding at the bottom.

"We're here," Erika said.

Kai saw that they were in a strange cavern. At the other side of the cavern was a strange building. Erika led Kai to the front door. Once there, Erika knocked on the door.

"Who's there?!" someone asked from inside.

"Erika," Erika answered. "Now let me in. I've got things to tell you."

The door cracked enough for the person inside to see who it was. The man at the door then slid the door wide open. He had spiky blonde hair, a red robe, and a katana.

"It's Erika!" the guy said. "She's back!"

Suddenly, a three more people came there. One was a girl with blue hair and glasses. In her hands was a book. Another was a Zora with a gigantic sword that resembled a shark-fin. He wore a black robe and had a cross-shaped scar on the back of his right hand. The last was a guy with long red hair. He wore blue armor and wielded a knight's sword.

"Erika!" the Zora exclaimed. "You're back!"

"Thank the Goddess!" the red-haired guy said.

"Was the rumor true?" the girl asked.

"Take a look behind me and tell me yourself," Erika said.

The four of them saw Kai, who looked very confused.

"Who's he?" the Zora asked. "Your new boyfriend?"

Erika looked very frustrated by this.

"No!" Erika shouted. "This happens to be Kai Kamai!"

The other four gasped in shock and awe.

"Is it really him?!" the Zora asked.

"A living relic in our base!" the girl exclaimed.

"Amazing!" the red-haired guy exclaimed.

"Let's go to the boss," Erika said. "Kai here deserves an explanation. And we need to get these bands off of our wrist."

"Right," the other three said.

They all then began to lead Kai through the building. They soon reached the last room. Inside was a fat guy wearing sturdy looking armor. On his back was a large axe.

"Welcome back, Erika," the guy said in a rough East London accent. "Just who the bloody hell is that guy?"

He pointed towards Kai.

"This is Kai Kamai, Angus," Erika said.

Angus looked shocked for a minute. He then smiled.

"So the rumor was true, eh?" Angus said. "Cor blimey!"

"What's this rumor that everyone's talking about?" Kai asked. "Just what's going on here?"

"You deserve an explanation," Angus said. "You guys get those bands off of their arms while I explain this whole thing."

The blue-haired girl and the Zora began to fiddle with the bands on Kai and Erika's wrists.

"Kai, as you probably know by now, this is the future," Angus said.

"A hundred years, right?" Kai asked.

"Right," Angus said.

"Why is everything like this?" Kai asked.

"Well, a hundred years ago, you battled against the King of All Evil," Angus said. "According to what we researched, that battle ended with your defeat."

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

Just then, the bands came off.

"Good job, Mina and Augustus," Angus said.

"Thank you," Mina said.

The two of them then found a place to sit.

"Let me continue," Angus said. "According to history, that big old sparking thing of yours, what was it called?"

"The **Gigaslash**," Mina said while looking in a book.

"Right," Angus said. "Anyway, that attack didn't work against the King of All Evil. Because of that, you lost against him. You were immediately finished off."

Kai looked surprised and scared. A moment later, he regained his posture.

"What happened to everyone else?" Kai asked.

"One-by-one, the Evil King killed every single one of them," Angus said.

Kai then imagined the horrible sight. He saw blood being spilt from all of his friends and allies. The last one, and the most horrifying one to Kai, was Hazel.

"Without anyone willing to fight him, that King guy became the world's ruler," Angus said.

"He turned everything into darkness," Mina said.

"All color in the world had faded, time had stopped flowing, and the day no longer comes. The world has been put into a state of paralysis."

"Nobody is brave enough to go up against him," Augustus said. "Only we, the Rebel Forces, have the strength and skill to protect the weak against the King's army."

"But not even we have the strength to defeat the King himself," the blonde-haired guy said.

"Then what can I do about this?" Kai asked. "If the **Gigaslash** can't beat him, what else can I do?"

"We did some research, and Mina found something," Angus said. "Tell him, Mina."

"Well, I found out that there was a technique that was far superior to even the **Gigaslash**," Mina said. "It's called the **Gigagash**."

"The **Gigagash**?" Kai asked. "How do I do it?"

"Sadly, we don't have that information," Mina said.

"Then how do I learn it?" Kai asked.

"We think that a book that tells how it works exists in your time," Angus said.

"Well, how do I get back to my time?" Kai asked. "I have to find this book, right?"

"There is only one hope," Angus said. "We heard a rumor that there was a legendary Pokemon that could travel through time. It was known as Celebi."

"Celebi?" Kai asked.

"The moment we heard about Celebi, I sent Erika and one other girl on a mission to find her," Angus said. "Seeing you here proves that the rumor was definitely true."

"It is," Erika said. "We found Celebi in the Temporal Woods. She sent my partner and I to Kai's time."

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "If there were two of you, what happened to this partner of yours?"

"I don't know," Erika said. "We got separated in the Time Stream."

"Alright," Angus said. "It's about time we get moving. This time, all of us will take Kai to Celebi. Erika, as you found it, you will lead us. Alright, gang! Let's move!"

All of the rebels led Kai out of the rebel base. They were soon back in the dark outside world.

"Let's move quietly," Erika said. "The King's army could be anywhere."

"Right," everyone agreed.

As they walked off, a Shadow Sentry saw them walk away. He first spoke in some untranslatable language. He then disappeared.


	37. Chapter 37: Temporal Woods

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 37: Temporal Woods**

Kai and the rebels continued towards the Temporal Woods, where the legendary Celebi was said to be waiting. During the hike, Kai looked around at his surroundings.

"This place," Kai thought. "It seems…familiar. I just can't put my finger on it."

Kai then bumped into Angus, who had stopped. Kai then noticed that all of the rebels had stopped. Zangalus, the blond-haired guy, drew his katana. Takeru, the red-haired guy, drew his sword. Augustus pulled out his shark-fin sword. Angus pulled out his axe, and Erika pulled out a pair of kunai knives. Mina was the only one in the group that did not wield a weapon.

"We have company," Angus said.

Kai looked around for the unknown enemy. He then saw the trees rustle ahead of him. Suddenly, a whole army of wolf-like demons jumped out of the trees.

"Wolfos?!" Kai exclaimed.

"A whole pack," Angus said. "This won't be easy."

Suddenly, the Wolfos attacked. Kai drew his sword in order to block three that had attacked him. Zangalus began to fight one off with his katana. When he noticed a second one running up behind him, he knocked back the first one and jumped out of the way. He then ran up the side of a tree and jumped up above the Wolfos.

"**Hammer Slice**!" Zangalus shouted as he swung his katana down.

His blade sliced down between the two Wolfos with enough force to destroy them. Meanwhile, Takeru and Augustus were surrounded by several enemies.

"Ready?" Augustus asked.

"Ready," Takeru answered.

Augustus and Takeru rushed in opposite directions. They each took down one and jumped backwards as another tried to strike. After immediately flipping in mid-air, they struck down the remaining Wolfos in the circle. They then began to fight off more.

Angus was surrounded by another group of Wolfos.

"Teaming up won't work," Angus said.

All of the Wolfos that surrounded him charged forward. Angus then began to spin his axe above his head.

"**Demon Axe**!" Angus shouted.

Suddenly, a dozen evil spirits rose out of his spinning axe and shot towards the Wolfos, destroying every one that they touched. After destroying all of the ones that surrounded him, he stopped spinning his blade.

Erika was easily holding her own against the Wolfos by attacking them one-by-one. One tried to strike her down with its claw, but she flipped backwards into the air and began to form hand-signs.

"**Slime Jutsu**!" Erika shouted.

She spat out a glop of green slime that stuck to her enemy's paws. The slime prevented it from moving. Erika then rushed forward and finished the Wolfos with her kunai knives. Without Erika knowing, another Wolfos tried to strike her down from behind. Suddenly, a barrier appeared between them. Erika turned around and saw the Wolfos that had run into the wall. She then turned to face Mina, who was controlling the barrier with her magic (similar to Hazel).

"I owe you one," Erika said.

Erika then looked towards Kai. Several Wolfos had Kai pinned down. Kai used his sword as a barrier between him and the teeth of the Wolfos.

"Get…off…of…me!" Kai shouted.

He focused his magic and created his wings. The wings shot out in a manner that blew several of the Wolfos away. He then attacked whatever remained with his sword. Any Wolfos that had survived this battle ran off.

"They may be brave in a pack," Angus said, "but they're a bunch of spineless gits on their own."

"So you are part Avian!" Mina exclaimed as she stared at Kai's glowing wings. "Fascinating!"

"Don't mind her," Zangalus said as everyone withdrew their swords. "Mina's always been a book freak. She read a rumor that you had an Avian ancestor."

"So she likes to read," Kai said. "Reminds me of Hazel."

"We don't have time to chitchat," Erika said. "We have to find Celebi."

They continued through the dark forest. Meanwhile, Junpei was reporting to a figure that stood in the shadows. Its gigantic eyes glowed high above Junpei.

"What's your report?" a menacing voice said from the shadows.

"My liege, I managed to bring Erika to the future, as well as Kai Kamai," Junpei said.

"So is the only threat to my existence gone?" the voice asked.

"Well…no," Junpei answered tentatively. "The two of them managed to escape."

"What?!" the voice shouted angrily.

Junpei began to cower.

"I'm sorry, my liege," Junpei said. "I promise. I'll get them!"

"You had better!" the voice shouted. "History must never be changed!"

Junpei ran out of the room. Once outside, he began to walk again.

"What can I do?" Junpei asked himself. "Where did Kai Kamai run off to?"

Suddenly, the Shadow Sentry that spotted the rebels appeared before Junpei.

"What is it?" Junpei asked.

The Sentry spoke in its own strange language. Junpei smiled.

"So the rebel base has been found," Junpei said. "Interesting. Send some of your troops to the base. Now, where were they heading again?"

The Sentry spoke once more.

"Good," Junpei said. "I'll head there myself. I know exactly where they're going now. Summon the dragon riders! We're heading for the Ruins of Time!"

The Sentry disappeared as Junpei laughed triumphantly. Back in the Temporal Woods, Kai and the rebels had reached a clearing in the forest.

"This is it," Erika said. "This is where I found Celebi last time."

Everyone looked around, but nothing was in sight.

"Are you sure?" Kai asked.

"Absolutely!" Erika exclaimed. "Celebi was right here!"

"Maybe Junpei and his goons found out where Celebi was," Mina suggested.

"That could mean that…Celebi was captured," Takeru said.

"Me? Captured?" a female voice echoed.

Everyone looked around for the source of the voice.

"Who said that?!" Kai exclaimed.

Suddenly, in the middle of the clearing, a green light began to glow brightly. Appearing in the center of the light was a small, green creature that looked like a fairy.

"Celebi!" Erika exclaimed.

"I don't know if it's good or bad to see you again," Celebi said. "If you're back, it means that you failed in your mission."

"I don't consider it 'failing'," Angus said. "She located and contacted Kai Kamai. The proof is right here."

He pointed towards Kai.

"So you accidentally brought him here?" Celebi asked.

"Yeah," Erika said. "That's why we're here. We need to get Kai back to the past."

"I would love to help you, but after that first trip back in time, my power's been diminished," Celebi said. "I can barely send myself through time, let alone others."

"Then…we're screwed," Zangalus said.

"Not necessarily," Celebi said. "Deep in these woods are the ruins of an ancient temple. It is said to be able to propel an entire country through time. If I utilize its powers, I may be able to send Kai through time."

"Where are these ruins?" Angus asked.

"It is to the north," Celebi said. "I will lead you there."

Celebi began to float through the woods, with Kai and the rebels right behind her.

"You won't have to worry about any creatures attacking us," Celebi said. "I have set a barrier around us. Nothing in these woods can see us right now."

"That's pretty cool!" Mina exclaimed.

"The effect will only last until we reach the ruins," Celebi said. "But we shouldn't need it after that."

They continued to hike deeper and deeper into the woods, until they found it. It was a destroyed building that looked like it was once a large building.

"Here we are," Celebi said.

"Alright," Kai said. "Use some hocus-pocus and send me back in time."

"We have to first find a way to get into the secret room of the ruins," Celebi said. "It's through that door."

There was a large door with the symbol of the Triforce on it ahead of them. The door was by itself. No walls surrounded it.

"The Triforce?" Kai asked. "Then this must be the Temple of Time!"

Everyone except Celebi looked shocked.

"You've been here?" Angus asked.

"Yeah," Kai said. "On my first adventure."

Erika walked all the way around the door.

"How do we get into the secret room?" Erika asked.

Everyone tried to open the door, but to no avail.

"This thing won't budge," Erika said.

Kai then thought for a minute. He then realized what he had to do. He pulled out his ocarina.

"What's that going to do?" Augustus asked.

Kai pulled the ocarina to his mouth and played the Song of Time. Afterwards, the sound of an organ echoed through the room, playing the Song of Time as well. When the song finished, the door immediately opened. Inside was a large room.

"Cor blimey!" Angus gasped.

"Impossible!" Augustus exclaimed. "There's no door on the other side!"

"It's another dimension," Mina said. "Something this powerful is definitely able to propel someone through time."

Suddenly, a fireball exploded at their feet. They looked up and saw dozens of dragons with Shadow Sentries riding them in the sky.

"Damn!" Zangalus exclaimed. "We've been found!"

Junpei and a dozen Shadow Sentries appeared in the trees.

"It looks like we found you," Junpei said.

"Junpei!" Kai shouted.

"You rebels have been a nuisance," Junpei said. "Now then. It's time we destroy you all and finish off that little fairy."

Kai began to draw his sword, but Angus stopped him.

"Kai, we'll hold him off," Angus said. "You go on ahead of us."

"But…" Kai began.

"No buts!" Angus shouted. "You're the future's only hope! You must go back in time and learn the **Gigagash**!"

He then turned to face Erika.

"You go with him!" Angus shouted.

"But sir, I have to help you!" Erika exclaimed.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer!" Angus shouted. "Kai will need help if he's to find that book. Go back in time, find your partner, and find that book!"

Erika looked tentative at this.

"Now!" Angus shouted.

Erika nodded her head. She, Celebi, and Kai then ran into the room. Junpei ran forward to stop them, but Angus got in his way.

"You want them, you'll have to go through me," Angus said.

"Insolent fool!" Junpei shouted. "You dare to defy the king?! This will show you!"

Junpei pulled out a black katana. He and Angus then began to fight. Inside the large room, Celebi ran ahead of Kai and Erika to a pedestal. Celebi then began to glow brightly. Suddenly, a blue portal appeared before her.

"This is it!" Celebi exclaimed. "You two must go!"

Kai and Erika heard a scream of pain. They turned around and saw that Junpei had stabbed Angus.

"Angus!" Erika shouted.

"We have to go!" Kai exclaimed. "We have to make sure this doesn't happen!"

Kai pulled Erika through the portal. Once they were through the portal, it disappeared. Junpei and some Shadow Sentries surrounded Celebi.

"Do you really believe that you have me?" Celebi asked.

"Get her!" Junpei shouted.

The Shadow Sentries charged for Celebi, but she disappeared before they could grab her. Junpei then slammed his fist on the wall.

"At least one good thing came from this," Junpei said. "We managed to catch most of the rebels and kill their leader."

The rebels were tied up and carried by the dragons. Angus's body was bleeding on the floor. Junpei turned towards one of the Sentries.

"Inspect this room for any sign of a portal," Junpei said. "There might be a chance to follow them. I will not let Kai Kamai slip from my fingers."

Junpei then walked out of the room and hopped onto a dragon. All of the dragons then flew away.


	38. Chapter 38: Search for the Book

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 38: Search for the Book**

Kai and Erika spun around and around through the vortex of the portal. After a while, they reached a bright light. When the light faded, Kai found himself in the Temple of Time.

"Are we really back?" Kai asked.

Erika stood up and walked to Kai's side.

"I hope so," Erika said. "Let's walk out."

Kai and Erika then walked out of the room. They were inside the main part of the temple. It was no longer a pile of ruins.

"We made it!" Erika exclaimed. "We're back!"

"We can't rest yet," Kai said. "We still have to find the guys, find your partner, and find that book."

"Right," Erika said. "Let's go!"

Kai and Erika ran out of the temple. It was the middle of the night.

"I guess we should find a place to stay for the night," Erika said.

"Right," Kai said.

Kai and Erika then headed towards Castle Town, which was the nearest city to the Temple of Time. They reached the inn and walked inside.

"Now let's just get a couple of rooms and go to sleep," Erika said. "We need the rest."

"After that adventure, I guess I am a little tired," Kai said.

The two of them then spent the night in the inn. At sunrise, Kai woke up and walked outside. Sitting outside was Erika.

"So you're awake," Erika said. "I just got up in order to see the sunrise. Did you know that the first time I saw it, I felt happy. To see light for the first time was amazing."

"Light is pretty neat after being in the dark for so long," Kai said. "Alright, let's get moving."

"Yes," Erika said. "We have to make sure that this light never fades."

Kai and Erika then got up and began to move. They walked through the market to get supplies for their journey.

"We should probably rent a ship," Erika said. "We'll need one if we're going to find everyone."

"Right," Kai said. "Let's get moving to the port."

After a while, the two of them reached the port. What they saw there created a smile on Kai's face. His ship was docked at the port.

"The guys are here!" Kai exclaimed.

Kai and Erika immediately ran towards the ship. As they ran towards the ship, Toad walked outside and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

"Well, it's about time we get to searching," Toad said. "Kai isn't going to find himse…"

Toad's eyes widened as he saw Kai and Erika running towards them.

"TOAD!!" Kai shouted happily.

A huge smile grew on Toad's face. He then ran inside.

"HAZEL! ZERO! SERENA!" Toad's voice could be heard from inside the ship. "KAI'S BACK!!"

Immediately after he shouted that, Hazel, Serena, Zero, and Toad rushed out. When they got out, they saw that Kai was next to the ship.

"He's back!" Serena exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" Zero exclaimed.

"Hazel, don't you want to say anything?" Toad asked Hazel.

Hazel ran off of the ship. She rushed straight for Kai. Tears were streaming down her face. She hugged Kai as soon as she reached him.

"Kai!" Hazel cried. "It is you! It's really you!"

"I'm back," Kai said. "So you can stop crying."

Hazel then stopped hugging Kai and wiped her eyes. She looked the happiest of them all. Zero, Toad, and Serena ran down to them.

"Where were you?!" Toad asked as the three of them surrounded Kai.

"Have I got a story for you," Kai said. "I'll explain it on the ship."

Once they were on the ship, Kai explained exactly what happened. The story shocked all of his friends.

"So you're from the future?!" Toad exclaimed.

"Yeah," Erika said.

"That would explain some things," Zero said.

"So that Junpei guy is also from the future," Serena said. "And…we lost?"

"That's it," Kai said.

"Then what do we do?" Hazel asked.

"There's a book somewhere that tells about a technique called the **Gigagash**," Kai said. "If I can learn that move, we can beat Sephiroth and the King of Evil."

"One thing still hasn't been answered," Zero said. "What happens to Sephiroth."

"I don't know," Erika said. "History says that he disappeared during the battle with the King of Evil."

"That is strange," Serena said. "But it definitely makes sense."

"Alright," Hazel said. "We have to contact all of our friends and allies about this."

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "What happened to Riolu?"

"He's with Pikachu," Serena answered. "The two of them joined forces."

"Alright," Kai said. "Then it should be easy to call everyone. We have to get the word out and find that book!"

So the six of them sent out messages to everyone that they trusted. For one week, everyone searched everywhere for the book, but it was never found. One night, Kai's group was in a library on a nearby island.

"It's been a whole week!" Toad exclaimed. "Where is it?!"

"We've searched in every known library," Hazel said. "None of our friends have found it either."

"There has to be something we can do," Kai said.

Kai then noticed something strange about a nearby window. The light hit it in a way to where the window's shadow began to extend. The shadow soon hit a nearby wall and grew to the size of a door.

"No way!" Kai exclaimed.

The six of them walked over to the shadow. Kai then pressed into it, opening the door. They walked inside and walked through the familiar realm. They walked across platform and platform until they reached the center, where a familiar face was waiting for them.

"Never once has anyone entered the Moonshadow Land twice in a lifetime," Ishmahri said. "I wonder. What wish has brought you to my realm this moonlit night?"

"Erika, don't say anything," Kai said. "He's about to do a cool trick."

Ishmahri then played a note on his harp. Suddenly, all of their shoes began to glow. Erika, who was the only one who hadn't been in the Moonshadow Land yet, was the only one surprised by what was happening.

"So you seek a book that wields the legendary sword technique," Ishmahri said.

"How did you…" Erika began.

"Something about shoes telling him stories and stuff," Kai said. "It's a really long speech."

"Ishmahri, can you help us?" Hazel asked.

"I might," Ishmahri said. "That sword of yours can tell the tale."

Kai looked at his sword. Ishmahri played a note on his harp, and Kai's blade began to glow. Suddenly, the illusion of a strange library appeared before them. It showed an unknown swordsman that wielded Kai's sword writing in a book. He then put away the book.

"Is this…what I think it is?" Hazel asked.

"What is it?" Zero asked.

"It's the legendary Merlin's Library!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Who's Merlin?" Kai asked.

"Only the greatest sage of all time!" Hazel exclaimed. "He is said to have known everything! He created that library and filled it with every bit of information of the world! But nobody knows where it is."

"Is there a point to a library that nobody knows about?" Toad asked.

"Just how do we find it?" Kai asked.

"Excalibur knows where it is," Ishmahri said.

He played a note on his harp.

"Now step onto your ship," Ishmahri said. "May your journey go safely."

Kai and his friends walked out of the Moonshadow Land. They immediately stepped onto their ship. They stood on deck, but nothing happened.

"What do we do?" Hazel asked.

Kai held his sword out towards the sea. Just then, a golden beam of light shot out from his sword.

"This is cool!" Kai exclaimed.

"Alright," Toad said. "Let's set sail! Next stop, Merlin's Library!"

Toad then spun the wheel of the ship. The ship set out to sea in order to find the legendary library. Meanwhile, Sephiroth and the last remaining man of his were watching the group.

"It seems that they are heading towards Merlin's Library," the unknown guy said.

"Good," Sephiroth said. "They won't escape from there alive."

"Why is that?" the unknown guy asked.

"There's a very good reason that the location of the library was kept secret," Sephiroth said.

"Shouldn't I go there to make sure they don't get out?" the unknown guy asked.

"Do as you wish," Sephiroth said. "Just remember not to underestimate Kai. That's what happened to the other two."

Sephiroth then disappeared into the shadows once more.


	39. Chapter 39: Battle in the Library

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 39: Battle in the Library**

Kai and his friends had reached the shore that Excalibur had pointed to. As they proceeded across the strange land, they ended up in a desert. They followed their light further and further through the sand-filled land. After several hours of hiking, the sword stopped glowing.

"What happened?" Hazel asked.

"The sword stopped," Kai said.

They looked around, but found nothing.

"Maybe Ishmahri was wrong," Toad suggested.

Zero then looked down and saw something.

"Look at our feet," Zero said.

They all looked down. A small door that was the same color as the sand was at their feet.

"It was hidden!" Hazel exclaimed.

"No wonder we couldn't find it," Kai said.

Zero looked deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" Toad asked.

"Why isn't the door covered by sand?" Zero thought. "Could someone have come here before us?"

"Let's go in!" Kai exclaimed.

They opened the door and climbed down a set of stairs. After the six of them were all in, two familiar faces appeared behind some rocks.

"We finally found them!" Mammoth exclaimed. "Now Kai Kamai will die!"

"Sir," Mel said. "We have yet to beat them. In fact, we tend to get hurt ourselves. Maybe we should just give up."

"NEVER!" Mammoth shouted. "Besides, this time we have the element of surprise! We just have to sneak up on them!"

"Maybe I should consider getting a new job," Mel thought.

"Let's go!" Mammoth shouted.

The two of them opened the door and climbed down the stairs. Meanwhile, Kai and his friends had reached the bottom of the stairs. Hazel was filled with excitement at the sight. Endless rows of gigantic bookshelves stood before them.

"This is a dream come true!" Hazel exclaimed. "Imagine what we could learn in here!"

"Let's drool over the books later," Zero said. "For now, we have to find that book that Arthur wrote."

"Right," everyone agreed.

They all began to walk through the library, looking at the many shelves. As they looked, Zero noticed that the bookshelves were not dusty. An hour later, they were all sitting at a table, reading the books they had found. Soon, they closed all of the books and looked disappointed.

"We've found nothing," Erika said.

"It'll take too long to examine every book in this freaking place!" Toad shouted.

"It has to be in here somewhere," Kai said. "We just have to keep looking."

Kai and his friends then stood up. Immediately afterwards, Zero felt a sense of danger.

"GET DOWN!" Zero shouted.

They all dropped to the ground. A metallic fan flew over their heads and destroyed the bookshelf ahead of them. The fan then returned to its familiar owner. The five members of Team Zelgas stood before them.

"It's been a while, Kai Kamai" Zelgas said.

"Who are you?" Kai asked.

Zelgas looked angry.

"HOW DARE YOU FORGET ME?!" Zelgas shouted. "WISHER'S PEAK! WISHER'S PEAK!"

Kai thought for a minute. He then looked like he remembered something.

"I remember you!" Kai exclaimed goofily. "You're…Selmas!"

"**ZELGAS**!" Zelgas shouted. "My name's **Zelgas**! Get it right!"

"Oh yeah," Kai said.

"Now you will die!" Zelgas shouted.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time for you," Kai said. "We have to find a book."

"You'll be in a history book when we're done with you!" Magnus shouted.

"Talk about lousy lines," Toad said.

"Kai," Zero said. "You and Hazel go on ahead. We can take on these guys."

"You sure?" Kai asked.

"It'll be no problem," Zero said. "Now go!"

Kai and Hazel nodded and ran on ahead. Zero drew his duel katana to block a swift strike by Zelgas.

"Do you think you are strong enough to defeat me?" Zelgas said.

"I don't think," Zero said. "I know!"

Zero then slid out of the way and sliced down. Zelgas swiftly drew his sword once more and blocked Zero.

Serena battled against Magnus. Magnus swung his axe down towards Serena, who slid out of the way to dodge. She then threw some needles into Magnus's body. All of her needles stuck.

"Yes!" Serena thought.

Serena then had a look of shock on her face as Magnus grabbed her and threw her against a bookshelf.

"How can you move?!" Serena asked. "That's my best paralysis poison!"

"I've raised by body to be unaffected by all poisons!" Magnus shouted. "I'm a living tank!"

Magnus swung his axe down again, but Serena dodged once more. Serena pulled out two knives and slashed at Magnus's muscular body, but to no avail. Her knives broke upon impact.

"He is a tank!" Serena thought.

Magnus then swung his axe again. Serena jumped backwards in order to dodge. Meanwhile, Toad was tangling with Sari and Riku. Riku launched a **Firaga** spell, which Toad barely dodged. Toad then countered with a **Blizzaga** spell. Sari then created a barrier that blocked the spell. Sari then swung her staff once more, and Toad's own spell rebounded towards him. Toad ducked right before the spell reached him. Before he could react, however, Riku had launched a **Thundaga** spell. Toad took the full force of this attack.

Erika went up against Mina. Mina charged forward and kicked towards Erika. Erika dodged several kicks and fan swings before she jumped backwards into the air.

"**Slime Jutsu**!" Erika shouted.

She spat out some slime. Mina spun her fan and blocked the slime.

"Not good," Erika thought.

Mina then kicked towards Erika once more. She hit Erika, and Erika went flying into a bookshelf. Erika stood up and dodged another kick from Mina.

Meanwhile, Kai and Hazel ran through the library, looking at every book that they passed for any sign of swordsmanship.

"Just where is that book?!" Hazel asked.

Suddenly, a wave of ice surrounded Kai and Hazel.

"Cold!" Kai exclaimed.

The two of them looked for the source of the attack. It was a man in a black robe, the last remaining member of Sephiroth's men.

"Hello there, Kai Kamai," the man said.

"Let me guess," Kai said. "One of Sephiroth's guys, right?"

"Correct," the enemy said.

"Well then," Kai said as he drew his sword. "I'll just have to get past you."

"I'd like to see you try," the other guy said. "I, Ractus, will defeat you."

"Ractus?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Do you know this guy?" Kai asked.

"He is one of the great sages!" Hazel answered.

"Great sages?" Kai asked.

"You remember, right?" Hazel asked. "Remember Rukar and Solon?"

"Sort of," Kai said.

"Well, this guy's like them!" Hazel exclaimed. "There are four sages! He's Ractus the Blue Sage, the master of ice!"

"I'm glad you know me," Ractus said. "Now then, let's get down to business!"

He focused his magical energy into his hand. Suddenly, a huge blizzard blew towards Hazel and Kai. Hazel created a barrier that blocked the spell. Kai then saw through the barrier as the walls and floors around them became encased in ice.

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed. "We'll be popsicles if he hits!"

Ractus began to launch orbs of frozen energy towards Kai and Hazel. Kai and Hazel ran as fast as they could to dodge each attack, all of which froze anything they hit.

"We can't keep running!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Then we have to fight," Kai said.

Kai turned to face Ractus. Ractus launched another ice orb.

"**Din's Fire**!" Kai shouted as he launched a gigantic fireball towards Ractus's spell.

The fire hit the ice, and the two attacks countered each other out.

"That is a nice trick," Ractus said. "But it will not be enough to stop me!"

Ractus launched another wave of ice towards Kai and Hazel. Kai focused more magical energy into his hands, but the energy became green instead of red.

"**Farore's Wind**!" Kai shouted.

He and Hazel disappeared before the blizzard hit. Ractus then turned around to see Kai and Hazel swing their weapons towards him. Ractus jumped out of the way to dodge. Kai and Hazel immediately turned around after missing.

"He's good," Kai said.

"Too good," Hazel said.

"I'll admit that you two have some skill," Ractus said. "But it's not enough to defeat me."

"Then how about this!" Hazel shouted.

She focused her magic into her hands.

"**Holy**!" Hazel shouted as she launched a beam of white energy towards Ractus.

Ractus waved his right hand in front of him. As he waved his hand, a wall of ice appeared before him. Hazel's spell was blocked by the ice.

"Impressive," Ractus said.

"Not good," Hazel said. "Nothing short of a death spell will beat him!"

"Then let's give him a death spell," Kai said. "_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the eldest sage_…"

Before he could say anymore, the ground began to shake. Kai stopped his spell, and all three of them looked for the source of the shaking. Behind Ractus was a gigantic owl.

"HOLY CRAP!!" Kai shouted.

The owl swiped its wing and hit Ractus, knocking him out. The owl then charged towards Kai and Hazel.

"Run for it!" Kai shouted.

Kai and Hazel immediately began to run from the giant owl.

"All who present a danger to the library must perish!" a voice said from the owl.

The owl continued to chase Kai and Hazel. Kai and Hazel soon made a quick turn at a corner. The owl, which was too large to make such a turn, crashed into the wall.

"I see why nobody knows about this place," Kai said. "This place is dangerous!"

The owl immediately got up.

"Hazel, make a run for it," Kai said. "I'll distract him."

"I'm staying with you!" Hazel replied.

"Get moving!" Kai shouted.

But before Hazel could move, the owl was right above them. Kai and Hazel couldn't move in time as the owl lifted its claw and prepared to strike.

"That's enough," an old woman's voice echoed through the library.

The owl stopped moving. Kai and Hazel then watched as the gigantic owl disappeared in thin air. They then saw nine figures wearing purple and gold robes walking towards them. Judging by their figures, they were all female. The one in the middle was hunched and smaller, so Kai assumed that she was an old woman.

"What's going on here?" Kai thought. "Just who are they? And where have I seen them before?"

(Ok. By now, some of you are wondering why I used the name Mina twice (once for future Mina and once for Chinese Mina). Well, I don't know. I just kinda came up with the name in the middle of the night. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. So just accept the name. I'll try not to make the mistake of typing stories when sleepy again.)


	40. Chapter 40: The Secret of the Gigagash

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 40: The Secret of the Gigagash**

Kai and Hazel watched as the robed women drew closer and closer to them.

"Welcome, Kai Kamai," the old woman said.

"How do you…never mind," Kai said. "I'm used to it."

All of the women removed the hoods from their heads. The old woman had long, grey hair. All of the other women looked almost like younger versions of the old woman. All of the young women had brunette hair.

"We are sorry we had to get rough on you," the old woman said. "We are the guardians of this library."

"So you created the big bird," Kai said.

"Exactly," one of the other women said.

"This library exists to enlighten those who come here," the old woman said. "This is in order to protect the light for future generations. I believe you are here for that very purpose."

"So you know about the whole 'future' thing," Kai said.

"Of course," the old woman said. "But I'll explain the whole story once your friends arrive."

Kai and Hazel looked confused for a moment, but the old woman lifted her right hand into the air, which began to glow with a purple light. A moment later, all of Kai's friends and Zelgas's team appeared out of thin air.

"What just happened?" Toad asked as everyone looked around.

Kai's friends and Zelgas's team then noticed each other. They then charged for each other. The old woman lifted her hand once more and created a transparent barrier between the two teams.

"Calm down long enough for me to explain everything," the old woman continued. "My name is Diana, and we all are the guardians of the library."

"Isn't that the same as a librarian?" Kai asked.

"Wait a minute!" Hazel exclaimed. "Diana! As in 'Diana the Wise'?!"

"Let me guess: another sage?" Kai asked.

"Yeah!" Hazel exclaimed. "Diana is known as the wisest person in the entire world!"

Zero then noticed that Erika had a surprised look on her face.

"It's been far to long, partner," Diana said to Erika.

Kai and his friends, who all knew about Erika and the future, looked shocked by what Diana had said.

"It is you!" Erika exclaimed. "How?! You were my age before!"

"I will explain that too," Diana said.

One of the guardians then noticed something from behind the bookshelves. She lifted her hand into the air, which glowed just like Diana's. Suddenly, Mel and Mammoth were lifted into the air from behind the bookshelves.

"It seems we have more guests," Diana said. "Please join us."

Mel and Mammoth were gently placed down in front of Kai.

"Do I know you?" Kai asked.

Mel and Mammoth looked extremely scared.

"NO!" Mammoth suddenly shouted. "You don't!"

"I'm sure I do," Kai said. "I just can't remember where."

"That doesn't matter right now," Zero said. "Let's listen to what the old woman has to say."

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "What about that freezing guy?!"

"Do not worry," Diana said. "We have already captured him and wiped his memory."

"Alright," Hazel said.

"I will explain everything," Diana said. "First of all, I should explain to Erika how I aged so much. It all started when we were traveling back in time…"

A flashback began. Erika and a younger Diana were in the future world with Celebi. Celebi created a portal through which the two of them could go back in time.

"Ready?" Erika asked.

"Let's go," Diana said.

Suddenly, Junpei and his Shadow Sentries appeared out of nowhere.

"You aren't going anywhere," Junpei said.

"Get moving, Erika!" Diana shouted.

"What about you?!" Erika exclaimed.

"Just move!" Diana shouted as she shoved Erika into the portal.

Junpei and his army began to charge towards Diana. Diana launched a **Fire** spell towards Junpei. Junpei dodged the spell and charged towards Diana. Diana dodged Junpei's attack and flipped backwards.

"**Gravity**!" Diana shouted.

A large, gravitational field surrounded them all. Junpei and his army couldn't move. Diana then saw that the portal was distorting in a weird way, but she ran in anyway. As soon as she entered, the portal disappeared.

"My spell had affected the portal by changing the destination in time," the present Diana narrated. "I was sent 50 years further back in time that you were."

"That would explain why I couldn't find you!" Erika exclaimed.

"That also explains the whole age thing," Kai said.

"For 50 years, I've studied many spells and became known as a sage around here," Diana continued. "20 years ago, I stumbled upon this library. I've been its guardian ever since. Upon coming here, I found the book that we had heard about and knew that Kai Kamai would be here eventually if you had found him."

"I'm still freaking confused!" Mammoth shouted. "What's all this talk about the future and the past?!"

Kai then explained to Mammoth, Mel, Zelgas, and his team the whole story. All of them were surprised to hear this.

"So this means that the world will be paralyzed if nothing is done?!" Mel shouted.

"Exactly," Kai said. "Now let's get to business. Where is that book?"

"I will lead you there," Diana said. "But you should know that you might be disappointed with what you find."

Everyone except the guardians looked confused, but they followed the guardians anyway. They walked deeper and deeper through the library. They soon stopped in front of a large bookshelf. Diana then pulled out an old-looking book and handed it to Kai.

"There it is," Diana said. "The book written by Arthur about the legendary sword technique he created."

Kai then opened the book. He flipped the pages over and over as everyone watched him. He soon found a page titled "**Gigagash**."

"This is it!" Kai exclaimed excitedly.

Kai turned the page and found that the second of the two pages that described the technique had been torn out.

"What?!" everyone exclaimed.

"I told you," Diana said. "The page describing how to control it has disappeared."

"But at least we still have the first page," Hazel said.

"So I can create the spell, but I just don't know how it works and can't control it!" Kai shouted.

"So that means that you should only use the **Gigagash** as a last resort," Diana said. "As you probably know, the **Gigagash** is the original form of the **Gigaslash**. While the **Gigaslash** calls upon part of the power of the three Goddesses of Hyrule, the **Gigagash** most likely calls upon their full power."

"That's a good thing, right?" Serena asked.

"The three Goddesses are said to have created almost everything," Zero said. "Such raw power could end up destroying the world as we know it unless it is controlled."

Kai then slammed his fist against the wall.

"We were so close!" Kai shouted.

"Does this mean that all this was for nothing?!" Serena asked. "We still lose?!"

"Then the future won't change," Erika said sadly. "And…everyone…"

Everyone in the room looked disheartened except for one individual.

"We can't give up hope," Toad said.

Everyone looked towards Toad. He had a determined look on his face.

"We've fought impossible odds before!" Toad shouted. "And we've come out virtually unscathed each time! We saved the world not once, but twice!"

"But we never knew the future before we fought any of those battles," Hazel said.

"How can you keep so brave?" Serena asked.

"Because…Kai is here," Toad said.

Kai looked confused. Toad turned to face Kai.

"Kai, do you remember the day we first met?" Toad asked.

"Of course," Kai said.

"When I got captured in that cage that day, I had almost lost all hope of ever getting out," Toad said. "But then, you came in and saved my life. Ever since, I've felt safe around you."

Toad turned to everyone else.

"Kai's always been there to save everyone," Toad said. "He brought light to eternal darkness. He brought hope to those who needed it. He gambled everything to save people he didn't even know! Kai, if you give up now…then…"

A tear formed on Toad's eye, but he immediately wiped it away.

"That's why you can't give up!" Toad shouted.

A smile grew on Kai's face. He immediately picked himself up.

"You're right, Toad," Kai said. "We can't give up yet!"

"But what about…" Erika began.

"Nothing's ever set in stone, guys!" Kai exclaimed. "Even if we don't know how to use the **Gigagash**, we still can't give up! If we don't do anything, then the world is doomed anyway!"

Hazel walked up to Kai.

"You're right!" Hazel exclaimed.

Zero then stood up.

"I guess we've fought the odds before," Zero said. "Why not?"

Zero walked over to the now forming hope.

"I'm in!" Serena exclaimed. "If we don't do anything, then all of the treasures of the world will be gone!"

Serena joined in. One-by-one, everyone in the room joined in Kai's cheerfulness. Soon, Erika was left shocked. Diana walked over to her.

"This is why Kai is known as a legend to us," Diana said. "He shines with hope even in the darkest of times."

Erika nodded her head.

"Then we have only one choice!" Kai shouted. "Sephiroth, we're coming for you!"

"I will use my magic to guide you to him," Diana said.

"Good," Kai said. "But we'll need help. Diana, can you help us gather all of our allies?"

"It shall be done," Diana said. "I will transport them to Everwood. They'll meet you there."

"Thanks," Kai said. "What about you guys?"

Kai was talking to Zelgas's team, Mammoth, and Mel.

"It's our duty as adventurers to save the world," Zelgas said. "We'll have our rematch afterwards."

"I'm not living in some stuck-in-time world!" Mammoth shouted. "I'm in!"

Everyone agreed.

"Then let's leave and regroup in the guild!" Kai exclaimed. "Gather whatever supplies you need. We'll meet in exactly one week!"

They all cheered. They all began to leave the library. As they left, Kai was talking to Toad.

"Thanks for everything," Kai said. "This time, you were the hope we needed."

"It's only because you were there," Toad said. "As I said, I'm brave because you're next to me."

"Well, you're still the hero today," Kai said. "**Gigagash** or no **Gigagash**, we're going to fight on to the bitter end!"


	41. Chapter 41: Let the Battle Begin!

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 41: Let the Battle Begin!**

Kai and his friends sailed over to Everwood as soon as they could. They gathered all of the supplies they needed throughout the week. Throughout the entire week, Kai prepared himself for the battle. He brought the book from the library with him in hopes in finding anything more about the **Gigagash**. Unfortunately, his attempts were fruitless.

The week came and passed. Soon, the day came. Kai and his friends walked outside of the guild. Waiting for them were Diana, Zelgas's team, Mammoth, and Mel.

"Is everyone here yet?" Mammoth asked.

"Not yet," Kai said. "But they should be here any minute now."

Suddenly, a shadow of a dragon flew above them. They all looked up and saw Tsubasa in his dragon form. Next to him were a plane and people floating with telepathy, and on his back were many people. When Tsubasa and the plane landed, everyone could see whom Kai had called.

Standing before them were Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toadsworth, Pikachu, Team A.C.T., Riolu, Link, Zelda, Kirby, Metaknight, Captain Falcon, Megaman, Sonic, Tails, the Thieves of Sand, and Tsubasa.

"You called almost everyone?!" Serena exclaimed.

"We're going to need everyone to win this one," Kai said.

"You can always count on us for anything," Mario said.

"You're our closest ally," Link said.

Everyone cheered on Kai and his friends. Diana walked up to Kai.

"It's about time we get going," Diana said. "For the battle ahead, you must be prepared. Do you have the Medallion Shard?"

Kai pulled out the shard of the Divine Medallion.

"Good," Diana said. "When you reach the center, I need you to reunite that piece with the others. Immediately afterwards, destroy the Medallion with your power. Only that will prevent the rise of the Evil King."

Kai then returned the shard to his pocket.

"Alright," Kai said. "Just where is Sephiroth?"

Diana closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

"He is…below us," Diana said.

Everyone looked confused.

"What do you mean 'below us'?" Zero asked.

"His fortress lies underneath the guild," Diana said.

Riolu closed his eyes and began to focus his aura. He eventually opened his eyes.

"She's right!" Riolu exclaimed. "There are hundreds of tunnels underground! At the bottom is some sort of fortress!"

"How could we have not noticed it?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"There is a seal blocking the entrance," Diana said. "I may be able to dispel it using my magic."

"Well let's hurry up!" Sonic exclaimed.

Diana began to focus her magic. Suddenly, the ground below them began to glow. Soon, they were all engulfed in a bright light. When the light faded, they had disappeared.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth was deep in his fortress.

"They are coming," Sephiroth said to himself.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He merely smiled.

"So you finally came," Sephiroth said. "And just in time to get your revenge."

Deep inside the labyrinth, the bright light appeared again. When the light faded, everyone who had been outside had reappeared. They all looked confused at what had happened.

"Teleportation is so cool!" Tails exclaimed.

"Alright," Diana said. "The fortress is located deep within this labyrinth."

"And I'm guessing that it is heavily guarded," Hazel said.

"It'll be almost impossible to get in," Tsubasa said.

"And Sephiroth waits for us at the end," Zero said.

"That's exactly our style," Kai said.

"Then it's about time we get moving," Diana said. "Hurry. We do not have time to waste."

The whole team charged through the labyrinth. They traversed deeper and deeper through the seemingly endless maze. Soon, they reached the first wave of enemies. It was an entire army of Shadow Sentries.

"Leave these to us!" Mario shouted. "You seven go on ahead!"

Mario was referring to Kai's team, Erika, and Diana. Kai nodded, and the seven of them charged forward. The Shadow Sentries charged for them, not knowing about what was about to attack them. Mario charged in and launched several fireballs towards them. Everyone else charged in with different attacks.

Sonic used his **Sonic Wind** to destroy several at the same time. The swordsmen sliced down their enemies with full force. The mages blasted their opponents away. The Pokemon used their many abilities to destroy their opponents. Kai's group still couldn't get to the fortress.

"You have to clear a path!" Kai shouted.

"I'm on it!" Mario shouted.

Mario jumped ahead of them. His eyes began to glow, and giant fireballs formed in his hands.

"**Mario Finale**!" Mario shouted as he launched a gigantic fireball that obliterated a whole row of enemies.

Kai's group took this opportunity to run into the fortress.

"Good luck!" Kai shouted as he entered the building.

"Now let's give them a fighting chance!" Mario shouted.

Everyone continued to destroy the endless waves of enemies.Meanwhile, all seven members of Kai's group charged through the fortress.

"We're coming, Sephiroth!" Kai thought.

They reached a staircase and began to climb up. When they reached the top of the first staircase, they were in a large room. On the other side of the room was a door ahead of them.

"This has to be a trap," Zero said.

"No duh there," Kai said.

They all stepped into the room, and the stairs behind them and the door in front of them were blocked.

"Saw that coming," Toad said.

Suddenly, a familiar and sinister face jumped down before them.

"Hello there," Junpei said.

"Junpei!" Erika shouted. "I should've known it was you who brought those Shadow Sentries here!"

"Yes," Junpei said. "And it's about time I finish my job."

Junpei pulled out his sword.

"I'll take you on!" Erika shouted. "I'll avenge my friends!"

"Your bravery is remarkable," Junpei said. "I'll tell you what. I'll burn you in the same incinerator as the rest of them!"

Junpei charged forward and swung his blade. Erika jumped backwards into the air and launched a **Slime Jutsu** towards Junpei. Junpei used his sword to deflect the attack.

"Such simple tricks won't defeat me!" Junpei shouted.

Junpei charged forward and sliced at Erika. Erika swiftly dodged each attack. Soon, however, Junpei landed a hit. Erika was pushed against a wall. Hazel and Serena began to draw their weapons, but Kai and Zero stopped them.

"This is her fight," Zero said.

"But she…" Hazel began.

"Hazel," Kai said. "Just give her a chance. I'll step in if things get too bad."

Erika attacked with her kunai knives, which Junpei blocked. Junpei then continued to attack Erika with his sword. Erika barely dodged each attack, but she only managed to get a few scratches. Erika then countered with her own blades. Soon, the two of them jumped back to catch their breath.

"You are quite skilled," Junpei said. "If only you were on the right side."

"I **am** on the right side," Erika said.

"Funny," Junpei said. "That's exactly what that foolish leader of yours said before I killed him. Do you wish to see what technique I used? It went something like this."

Junpei began to spin his sword around like the blade of a windmill. Soon, it was spinning faster than the eye could see. As it spun faster and faster, a wave of energy surrounded it. When Junpei stopped spinning the blade, the energy around it still spun.

"**Spiral Blade**!" Junpei shouted.

Junpei charged straight for Erika. Erika slid to the right to dodge. After her dodge, however, her right arm began to bleed.

"What happened?!" Kai shouted.

"That's the power of the **Spiral Blade**," Junpei said. "You can't dodge it. Even if you do, you'll just grow weaker and weaker until I finish you."

"Then I won't dodge," Erika said. "The next technique will be the last!"

Junpei charged towards Erika with his **Spiral Blade** technique. Erika meanwhile was forming some hand-signs. Junpei then stabbed his blade through Erika.

"ERIKA!!" Serena shouted.

Junpei smiled triumphantly, but he heard Erika laugh.

"Why are you laughing?!" Junpei shouted.

Suddenly, he felt something strike him in the back. He looked behind him and saw another Erika. He then coughed up blood.

"What…trickery…is this?!" Junpei demanded.

"**Ninja-Art: Slime Clone**," the Erika behind him said.

Junpei then watched as the Erika he stabbed melted into a green puddle.

"You didn't actually believe me when I said I wouldn't dodge, did you?" Erika asked. "We rebels are not dumb."

Junpei then fell onto his back.

"It's over," Erika said.

"You did it!" Kai exclaimed.

They all surrounded Erika and congratulated her.

"We can't rest yet," Erika said. "We have to continue on."

"Right," Zero said. "The doors are still locked, though. There has to be a release somewhere. Let's get to looking."

Everyone except Kai, Erika, and Diana left the dying Junpei to find the release button.

"Do you understand what will happen if you change the future?" Junpei asked weakly.

"What?" Erika asked.

"If you change the future…then all of us will disappear," Junpei said.

"What are you talking about?!" Erika shouted.

"We exist in the future," Junpei continued. "If the future is rewritten, then we from the future…will disappear. I believe…that your partner…already knew this."

Erika and Kai turned towards Diana.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Diana said. "I learned that changing the past would affect the future. I knew we would cease to exist if we change things."

Erika looked shocked.

"I still have one thing to do…before I die," Junpei said.

Junpei pulled out another time device. This time, Kai knew what it was. He, Erika, and Diana jumped out of the way as the portal appeared. But this portal was bigger than the previous one.

"This one won't disappear until it pulls you in," Junpei said. "You have no choice but to come with me."

"Do not be so sure," Diana said.

Diana then lifted her hand and cast a spell. Suddenly, the portal began to distort.

"What are you doing?!" Junpei shouted.

"I changed it," Diana said. "Kai and Erika won't be sucked in, but you and I will. And we won't be going into the future. We'll be going into limbo."

"Are you crazy!" Junpei shouted.

Diana began to push herself and Junpei towards the portal.

"Don't do it, Diana!" Erika shouted.

"Unfortunately, in order for the spell to work, I have to send myself into the portal as well," Diana said. "Junpei and I will forever be locked into limbo, from which we will never return."

"Diana!" Erika cried.

"Take care of Kai," Diana said. "Make sure to bring light to the future. No matter what Junpei or I said, we will exist in some form in the future. In fact, we'll live better lives in the future."

"Don't do this!" Erika cried. "You're my partner! I need you!"

"You've gotten so far without me," Diana said. "Please, as my last wish, make sure Kai safely gets to the end of this journey. Good-bye, my friend."

Diana and Junpei then entered the portal, which disappeared immediately afterwards. Diana and Junpei were both gone.

"Diana!" Erika cried.

Kai comforted Erika as tears poured down her cheeks. Erika then stood up and wiped her tears away.

"I…even if I disappear…I have to fight on," Erika said. "For Diana. I will make sure you win."

"Then we'll stop the King of Evil from coming," Kai said. "We can do it."

Kai's friends then unlocked the door.

"Let's move!" Zero shouted. "We're almost there!"

Kai and Erika joined the other and charged on. Kai had to complete the mission. He knew he had to do it for Diana.


	42. Chapter 42: Darkness Rising

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 42: Darkness Rising**

The six members that remained in Kai's group continued to the top of the fortress. As they forged on, they mentally prepared themselves for what was waiting at the top of the fortress. At the top of the final set of stairs was a large door. Carved on the door was a symbol that resembled the Divine Medallion.

"This must be it," Kai said.

He and Zero opened the door. Beyond the door was a sinister looking chamber. It was a large room, and at the other side was a strange pedestal. On the wall behind the pedestal was a strange door that looked as if it had never been opened. On the pedestal were the remaining pieces of the Divine Medallion.

"This is it," Kai said.

"Just where is Sephiroth?" Hazel asked.

Suddenly, a black wave of energy shot through the room. When it hit Kai's group, Kai's natural Avian aura blocked the wave. As for Kai's friends, they were trapped in black, transparent crystals.

"Who's there?!" Kai shouted.

"Quite amazing," a sinister voice said. "I never knew that the Avians were quite so powerful."

Kai looked around for the source of the voice.

"Show yourself!" Kai shouted.

"We finally get to meet face-to-face," the voice said.

Emerging from the shadows was a man with an aura as dark as coal. His hair shined with a silver color, and his presence was cold as ice. In his right hand was a sword that was about twice as long as a normal sword, but as slender as a katana. Kai immediately recognized this dark figure.

"Sephiroth!" Kai growled.

Sephiroth had an evil smile on his face. One look at this, and Kai felt as if Sephiroth knew everything.

"You have been a meddlesome kid for quite some time," Sephiroth said. "Darkness always come close to emerging, but then you come in like a little flame, destroying the darkness around us. It's time I douse your little flame of hope."

"Not happening!" Kai shouted.

Kai then charged forward with his sword. He swung his blade, but Sephiroth blocked with his own. Kai continued to swing his sword as Sephiroth merely blocked it. Sephiroth then countered and hit Kai, sending him across the room. Kai hit the wall and fell to the ground.

"It's too easy to beat you like this," Sephiroth said. "I want to fight you at your full strength."

Kai then focused his magical power. Then, two rainbow-colored wings grew from his back.

"You want my best," Kai said. "You got it!"

Kai and Sephiroth then charged for each other. Their blades clashed as the two evenly matched opponents tried to hit the other. The sounds of clashing metal echoed rapidly through the tower. Kai and Sephiroth soon jumped back. Kai was breathing heavily, but Sephiroth looked as if he had just started.

"How can he not be tired?" Kai thought. "Is he truly that strong?"

Sephiroth suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"Die," Sephiroth said.

Sephiroth then lifted Kai by his neck and began to choke him. Kai struggled to get free, but to no avail. Kai felt his life drain from him as his breath went away.

"It's over," Sephiroth said.

"Not yet!" an unfamiliar voice echoed through the room.

Suddenly, something shot right past Kai and Sephiroth. Sephiroth was blown back and Kai was free. Kai then saw the figure that had done this. He was a young man wearing adventurer's clothes. He had spiky, blonde hair and a large sword.

"Who are you?" Kai asked.

"Cloud Strife," the man answered.

"Cloud?!" Kai exclaimed.

"I've heard much about you, Kai Kamai," Cloud said. "I heard from an old ally of mine that you were fighting Sephiroth."

"Old ally?" Kai asked.

Kai turned to face the doorway. Standing in the doorway was Toadsworth.

"I called Cloud here to help me confirm something," Toadsworth said.

Toadsworth then walked up to Sephiroth.

"Get back!" Kai shouted. "He'll kill you!"

"Maybe he could…if he was the real Sephiroth," Toadsworth said.

Kai looked confused. Toadsworth then pulled out a strange, crescent moon-shaped object and held it out towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth then began to fade away.

"What's going on?!" Kai exclaimed.

"This is a Lunar Wing," Toadsworth said. "It's an object that can dispel illusions created by the Lord of Nightmares."

Sephiroth then completely faded away. In his place was a strange, black creature Kai had never seen before.

"Darkrai," Toadsworth said.

"How could that Sephiroth be fake?!" Kai exclaimed. "I fought him!"

"The human mind is limited to what it believes," Cloud said. "Darkrai manipulated you into believing that you were fighting Sephiroth. The same can be said about your friends."

"What?" Kai asked.

He turned around. He saw that his friends were on the ground sleeping. They all were struggling, as if they were having nightmares.

"Darkrai put them to sleep," Cloud said. "He then created an illusion that forced to you see them encased in crystals."

"That is just plain creepy," Kai said. "And why is he doing this?!"

"The answer to that is simple," Toadsworth said. "Darkrai wishes to bring the world into total darkness."

"What?!" Kai shouted.

"After the battle with Sephiroth, Darkrai began to rise," Cloud said. "His power was amplified by the darkness that had appeared in Sephiroth's wake, thus he realized how he could grow stronger. If he plunged the world into total darkness, he could rule the world with his strength."

"Huh?!" Kai exclaimed.

"He normally cannot create illusions outside of dreams," Toadsworth said. "But thanks to the darkness that's been growing for the past few years, his powers been at its peak."

"The past few…do you mean what I think you mean?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Exactly," Toadsworth said. "Darkrai gave Rukar the staff that held the Lord of Darkness in it."

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

"If the Lord of Darkness rose once more, the entire world would have been plunged into darkness," Toadsworth said. "But something happened that Darkrai didn't expect. The spatial distortions caused by the staff's power brought you into this world."

"With your power, you managed to stop Darkrai's first plan," Cloud said.

"First plan?" Kai asked. "Does that mean he was involved with the Twilight incident too?!"

"Exactly, you meddlesome boy!" Darkrai shouted.

"He's speaking to us with telepathy!" Cloud exclaimed.

"You have ruined my plans over and over," Darkrai said. "But you have failed this time!"

Darkrai held up the final piece of the Divine Medallion. Kai looked scared and began to dig through his pockets. The shard he had was gone.

"He must've taken it from you when you were stuck in his illusion!" Toadsworth exclaimed fearfully.

Darkrai then began to float towards the rest of the shards. Cloud charged forward to stop him, but Darkrai created a strange energy that engulfed Cloud. Cloud then fell asleep and began to struggle.

"Darkrai put Cloud to sleep!" Toadsworth shouted.

Kai then charged towards Darkrai. Darkrai then blasted Kai away with an orb of dark energy. Kai crashed into the wall, but that didn't stop him. Kai continued towards Darkrai, but he was too late. Darkrai joined the final piece with the rest of the Medallion. The Medallion then began to rise into the air.

Kai attempted to hit the Divine Medallion with his **Din's Fire**, but Darkrai used his own attack to cancel out Kai's. The Divine Medallion began to glow brighter than ever. Kai's friends began to wake up as the Medallion glowed brighter and brighter.

"What's happening?" Toad asked sleepily.

"Something bad," Toadsworth answered.

Suddenly, the door that was behind the pedestal slowly began to open.

"Awaken King of All Evil, Shion!" Darkrai shouted.

Behind the door was total darkness. Suddenly, two giant, bright, crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. The whole room began to shake crazily. Just then, all of Kai's friends entered the room.

"What's happening?!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Whose eyes are those?!" Riolu asked.

"It can't be!" Metaknight exclaimed.

Whatever was in the shadows roared.

"Shion has been revived," Cloud said. "The world is doomed."

Kai could only watch in fear as the monstrous creature emerged from the darkness. He was extremely fearsome. He had four, long arms and two long legs. The fangs that grew from his mouth were large and sharp. His claws looked as if they could slice through anything. On his back were gigantic demon wings.

"The world will now fall!" Darkrai shouted. "Shion! Spread your darkness and the world is ours!"

Shion then glared at Darkrai. Darkrai looked confused.

"You do not control me," Shion said in a dark voice. "Be gone!"

Shion then swiped Darkrai away with one swing of one of his arms. Darkrai crashed into a wall and was destroyed.

"He destroyed Darkrai in a single hit!" Kai exclaimed.

Shion then turned to face everyone.

"I thank you for reviving me," Shion said in his dark voice to Kai. "I sense great power inside of you. Join me, and you and these fools will be guaranteed long life. Go against me, and you will perish with the rest of them."

"Death or slavery!" Zero shouted.

"I'll never join you!" Kai shouted angrily.

"Then you shall perish," Shion said.

Shion launched a beam of crimson energy towards Kai and his allies. They all jumped out of the way to dodge. They all began to launch their attacks towards Shion. Shion absorbed all of their energy.

"Do you call those attacks?" Shion asked. "I will show you an attack!"

Shion then unleashed a wave of crimson energy. Everyone was blown away by the energy. They were all blown out of the fortress. Shion then jumped down in front of them.

"What do we do?!" Serena exclaimed.

"We have to stop him somehow!" Zero shouted.

Shion drew closer and closer towards them. Cloud then got up and walked in front of them.

"I will distract him," Cloud said. "You all get out of here."

"But what about you?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"My life is unimportant compared to the world's protection," Cloud said. "You must use Alakazam's powers to teleport out of here. Even if Shion is almighty, it will take him a while to escape from underground. That should give you some time to evacuate everyone and get stronger. Now go!"

Cloud charged towards Shion.

"Cloud!" Kai shouted.

"We don't have time," Zero said. "Alakazam, now!"

Alakazam's eyes and spoons began to glow with a blue light. Everyone except Shion and Cloud were engulfed in a blue light. Shion saw this and tried to strike them down with his arms. Cloud used his own strength to block Shion's arms.

"You won't pass!" Cloud shouted.

"Foolish human," Shion said. "You won't block me for long!"

"If I lose my life giving Kai a chance to defeat you, then so be it!" Cloud shouted.

Alakazam's teleportation then finished. Shion roared in anger at Cloud. Meanwhile, Kai and his friends were teleported back outside of the guild.

"Damn!" Kai shouted as he slammed his fist on the ground. "We couldn't stop Darkrai!"

"I sense Shion below us," Alakazam said. "We have about three days before the King of All Evil rises to the surface."

"Then we have to get ready," Zero said.

"Then we should make our leave," Zelda said. "Only you five truly stand a chance here."

Zelda referred to Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, and Serena.

"Having too many of us here will hinder Kai's chances," Toadsworth said.

"Then I guess this is good-bye," Kai said.

Kai then shook everyone's hands. Over the next two days, everyone headed home except Kai, Toad, Zero, Hazel, Serena, and Erika. They all also evacuated everyone in town. They soon were talking in the guild's dining room.

"I must see my mission through to the end," Erika said.

"Then I won't say anything about it," Kai said.

"We have one day left," Zero said. "Let's get everything ready."

"I'll purchase some more needles," Serena said. "Zero, you should come with me and get some shuriken."

"Sure," Zero said.

Zero and Serena then left to pick up their weapons.

"I'll check the local library to see if there is anything on Shion," Hazel said.

Hazel then walked outside.

"I'll go with Hazel," Toad said. "How about you guys?"

"I'll go," Erika answered. "Kai?"

"No thanks," Kai said. "I think I'll rest up for the battle ahead."

"Ok," Erika said. "See you soon then."

Erika and Toad then left the room.

"I have to win," Kai thought. "Not for myself, but for everyone. If I must make the ultimate sacrifice, then so be it."

Kai gripped the handle of his sword tightly. As the sun began to set on the final day, Kai knew he had to get his sleep. Shion would appear the following morning. He had to be ready. If he wasn't, then he knew that the whole world would suffer.

(The final battle is ahead! Only a few chapters to go! Keep reading till the end!)


	43. Chapter 43: The Ultimate Sacrifice

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 43: The Ultimate Sacrifice**

The morning arrived. Kai could barely sleep the previous night. He was too anxious about the battle ahead. He walked out of the room and met up with everyone else.

"You guys ready?" Kai asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Toad said.

"Alright," Kai said. "I wonder just where and when Shion will appear."

Meanwhile, underground, Shion was asleep. But he soon opened his eyes.

"It is time," Shion said.

He roared loudly, creating a strange sphere of Darkness around him. Back on the surface, the whole ground was shaking.

"He must be coming!" Hazel shouted.

They all ran outside of the guild. They saw that on a nearby hill, a large dark orb began to grow. It absorbed everything that it touched as it expanded.

"If that thing is allowed to grow, then the whole world will be absorbed!" Erika exclaimed.

"Then we have to hurry," Kai said.

They all ran towards the strange sphere. Soon, they were just outside of the dark orb.

"What do we do now?" Zero asked.

"Maybe we go inside," Kai said.

"You sure?" Hazel asked.

"Well…not really," Kai said. "But it seems to be the only thing we can do right now."

"True," Toad said. "I guess we'll trust you."

Kai and his friends then reached their hands out towards the sphere. After touching the orb to prove it wasn't dangerous, they walked right into it. Once on the inside, they found that the inside was grey and lifeless. Kai and Erika recognized it; this place resembled the future they had gone to.

"We have to stop the King of Evil before this darkness spreads," Erika said.

"Then let's forge on ahead!" Kai shouted.

The six of them charged forward. They then saw a whole army of Shadow Sentries charging towards them.

"Get past them!" Zero shouted.

They got ready to fight the Shadow Sentries, but the creatures merely rushed past them. They began to head toward the edge of the orb.

"They're heading outside!" Toad shouted.

A few sentries then made it outside. Almost immediately, however, they were pushed right back in.

"What the?" Serena began.

"Don't worry about the runners," Alakazam's voice echoed through their minds.

"Alakazam?!" Kai asked.

Meanwhile, all of their friends were taking care of the enemies that run out. Everyone was there, including the other teams in the guild and Gus.

"We will take care of anything that gets past you," Mario said.

"No enemy's fast enough to get past me!" Sonic exclaimed.

Back in the dark dimension, Kai had a smile on his face.

"Let's keep going!" Kai shouted.

All six of them kept heading through the dark world. Eventually, they saw where all of the sentries were coming from. Ahead of them was the same tower that they were in back underground, except it was much taller.

"Inside we go!" Serena shouted.

They got past every sentry that was ahead of them. They soon got inside the towering fortress. They climbed up a spiraling set of stairs that led upwards. They climbed higher and higher up the seemingly endless staircase. They soon reached a large door.

"This is it," Kai said. "No turning back now."

They pushed open the door. Inside was the evil Shion. He looked over towards Kai's group and laughed menacingly.

"So you did come," Shion said. "You should've taken my offer to be my servant. You would've been guaranteed long life. Now you will be dead, just like your spiky-haired ally."

Shion pointed one of his hands towards the ceiling. On the ceiling was Cloud, who was tied up by the neck. Upon seeing this, Kai and his friends were angered even more.

"You're sick!" Hazel shouted.

"He was a noble warrior!" Serena shouted.

Toad looked towards Kai, who had his head down. His right hand was clenched.

"Kai?" Toad asked.

"Cloud, thank you for helping us," Kai said quietly. "I promise you a hero's burial. But first…"

Kai looked up. His eyes were filled with total hatred and anger.

"First Shion must pay!" Kai shouted.

Kai and his friends drew their weapons.

"Do you truthfully believe that you stand even a remote chance against me?" Shion asked. "I am the source of all darkness. I cannot be defeated!"

Shion then launched a beam of dark energy towards Kai and his friends from his mouth. They all managed to dodge this attack. Zero then threw five kunai knives towards Shion. Instead of hitting Shion, however, they stuck in the ground right in front of him. Shion looked down and saw slips of paper tied around the handle of the knives. The papers then lit on fire.

"Gotcha," Zero said.

The knives then exploded in front of him. Shion couldn't see anything through the smoke. When the smoke cleared he saw a wave of needles flying towards him. All of the needles stuck into his body.

"That's called teamwork!" Serena exclaimed.

"Did you believe such puny attacks would harm me?" Shion asked.

Shion then released a wave of energy from his body that launched all of the needles from his body. The needles spread out towards Kai's friends. Hazel jumped in front of them and created a barrier that blocked the needles. When the needles were gone, Hazel released the barrier and Toad stepped forward.

"Check this spell out!" Toad shouted. "**Gravity**!"

A wave of black energy shot from Toad's hand and surrounded Shion. The ceiling above Shion began to crack until it completely collapsed on top of him. Toad then released the spell once the ruins of the ceiling completely covered the monster.

"Did we win?" Toad asked.

The rubble that surrounded Shion completely exploded. He then stood up and glared at Kai's team.

"You bunch are beginning to be annoying," Shion said.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Kai shouted.

Erika formed a few hand-signs.

"**Slime Jutsu**!" Erika shouted as she spat a huge glop of slime towards Shion.

The slime stuck to the monster's body.

"**Din's Fire**!" Kai shouted.

He launched a huge fireball towards Shion. As soon as the flames touched the slime, the slime exploded.

"Brilliant!" Hazel exclaimed.

But when the smoke from the explosion cleared, Shion was still standing.

"Your flames cannot hurt me," Shion said.

"Neither our individual nor our dual attacks are working," Zero said.

"Then let's hit him all at once!" Kai exclaimed.

They all then grouped together. Kai stood in the center with his sword held above his head. To his right were Toad and Serena. To his left were Zero and Erika. Kneeling in front of him was Hazel.

"Let's hit him with our combined powers!" Kai shouted.

Kai focused his energy to bring out his Avian wings.

"_Power beyond the brightest star, Wisdom of the Eldest Sage_," Kai began.

While Kai did his incantation, his friends prepared their attacks. Hazel focused white energy into her hands. Toad's magical power formed a light-blue ball of energy in his palms. Zero and Erika both began to perform hand-signs. Serena pulled out her needles.

"_…Lend thy powers to my unworthy blade_!" Kai finished.

His sword was glowing with powerful energy.

"**Holy**!" Hazel shouted as she launched her energy attack.

"**Ultima**!" Toad exclaimed as he threw the ball of energy.

"**Ninja-Art: Dragon Flare Bomb**!" Zero shouted as he breathed a large fireball.

"**Ninja-Art: Slime Spank**!" Erika shouted as she launched a huge ball of slime.

"**Needle Storm**!" Serena shouted as she launched a wave of a thousand needles.

"**GIGASLASH**!!" Kai shouted as he swung his sword.

The energy from his sword shot out and combined with all of his friends' attacks. The combined energy shot out and struck the demonic king. The whole room was filled with a bright light from the attack. When the light faded, Kai and his friends couldn't see through the smoke from the explosion.

"Did we win?" Hazel asked.

When the smoke faded, Shion was still standing.

"Impossible!" Toad exclaimed.

"All of our best attacks, and we still couldn't beat him!" Zero shouted.

"No!" Serena exclaimed.

"If that is all you have, then I have claimed victory!" Shion growled.

Shion launched beams of energy from his palms. The energy struck Kai's group and sent then crashing into the walls. After crashing, they could barely get up.

"How do we beat a guy who just took all of our best moves without flinching?" Toad asked.

"Is this it?" Hazel asked. "Is it over?"

"Not yet," Kai said.

They all looked towards him.

"We still have a trump card," Kai said.

"Do you mean the **Gigagash**?" Toad asked.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Serena asked.

Kai was silent for a moment. He then smiled.

"No way we'll know unless we try," Kai said.

"We're behind you all of the way!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Thanks," Kai said. "But there's something I have to do first. You all get in front of me."

All of his friends did as he asked.

"Why do you need us in front of you?" Erika asked.

Kai held his right hand towards them.

"Be safe," Kai whispered.

They didn't understand what he meant.

"**Farore's Wind**," Kai said.

The green gust of wind surrounded his friends and teleported them out of the tower. Kai then picked up his sword and got into a fighting stance.

"This is it, Shion!" Kai shouted. "It's time for the final attack!"

Meanwhile, the outside team was still taking down any escaping sentries. Princess Peach and Toadsworth were taking care of the wounded while everyone else fought. They then saw as the **Farore's Wind** blew past them. Suddenly, all five of the friends that Kai had teleported appeared before them.

"What are you guys doing outside?!" Princess Peach exclaimed.

"That's what I'd like to know," Toad said.

"Why did Kai do that?" Serena asked.

"I'm not sure," Hazel replied.

"I am," Zero said.

They all looked towards them.

"Do you remember what we talked about back in the library?" Zero asked.

They all thought about it for a second. Hazel was the first to realize the awful truth.

"Do…you…mean…" Hazel began.

"Kai sent us out here in case something went wrong," Zero said. "That's why he said to be safe. He was willing to sacrifice himself to save us."

"No!" Toad exclaimed.

"That rotten little…" Serena began.

"Kai!" Hazel screamed.

Back in the dark dimension, Kai was holding his sword above his head.

"If this move doesn't kill you, then the world is yours!" Kai shouted. "I'm gambling everything on this next attack!"

"Let us see if you truly have that power!" Shion shouted. "Once you are dead, then the world will be mine!"

"Excalibur, accept this power," Kai said. "_Power beyond blackest pitch. Wisdom beyond mortal eyes. Buried deep within my heart is where my Courage lies._"

Kai's sword began to glow with a energy similar to the **Gigaslash**, only it was purple and was glowing brighter. Shion was preparing a large energy attack in his four palms.

"_I call upon the three spirits of the beginning: Din, Farore, and Nayru. Let all that stands before me be destroyed by the great power you and I possess_!!"

Kai then pulled the energy that he held above him into two separate blades of energy that he held in each hand. The wave of energy was strong enough to blow his bandana off of his head. His hair floated as if it was unaffected by gravity.

Shion combined his four energy beams and shot them towards Kai.

"**GIGAGASH**!!" Kai shouted.

He swung the two blades. The energy shot out towards Shion in a huge beam. The two beams of opposing energy clashed against each other.

"Here's something that's different between you and me, Shion!!" Kai shouted. "I'm willing to give it all to protect those I care about!"

The two attacks created an explosion that spread all across the dark dimension. All of the sentries were immediately destroyed in the blast. Shion was slowly being disintegrated by the blast.

"To destroy even I, the King of All Evil," Shion thought. "It seems that fate has favored the stronger of two worlds…"

Shion was then completely destroyed. Meanwhile, outside of the sphere, everyone watched as the dark dimension began to distort.

"What's happening?!" Toad exclaimed.

"Kai's attack must be destroying Shion's dimension!" Zero shouted.

The sphere then completely exploded in a bright light. When the light faded, everyone saw the tower that Kai and Shion had fought in (or what was left of it). The tower had completely collapsed thanks to the explosion of magical power.

"Kai did it!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"But is he…" Mario asked.

Hazel was the first to run towards the rubble. Zero, Toad, Serena, and Erika immediately followed her. Behind them was everyone else besides Peach, Toadsworth, and the wounded warriors.

Hazel immediately found Kai on the ground. She bent down to check on him. Toad and the others soon caught up to her.

"Don't give us a scare like that Kai," Toad said. "I almost had a…"

Toad then noticed a fearful look on Hazel's face as she checked Kai's body.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked.

"WAKE UP, KAI!!" Hazel shouted as she pounded Kai's chest to get his heart beating. "You can't just die on me! Please!"

Everyone else had a look of total fear on their faces as they realized the awful truth: Kai…was dead.

(HOLY CRAP! The main character is dead?! Don't stop reading now, folks! We're almost done!)


	44. Chapter 44: End of Adventures

Kai and the Divine Medallion

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Chapter 44: End of Adventures**

"Wake up, Kai!" Hazel shouted again as she pounded on Kai's lifeless chest.

Tears streamed down Hazel's face as she tried to awaken the deceased Kai.

"Hazel, it's no use," Serena said. "Please stop before you hurt yourself even more."

"He's not gone!" Hazel cried.

She used a **Curaga** spell on Kai, but to no avail. She repeated the spell over and over as she continued to attempt to wake the dead.

"Zero, maybe…you can say something?" Serena asked.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what to do," Zero said.

"Kai, please wake up!" Hazel cried more as she continued her spells. "I've already lost my parents! I can't lose you too!"

She eventually gave up on the spells. She then broke down and cried even harder over Kai. The scene saddened even the warriors with the hardest of hearts.

"Hazel, there's nothing we can do," Mario said.

Hazel didn't hear him.

"Kai…" Hazel cried quietly. "You…can't be gone."

Memories of Kai raced rapidly across her mind.

"If you are gone, then what about us?!" Hazel cried louder. "Kai…you can't die! Not yet! I love you, Kai!"

She then reached down and hugged Kai's body as tears rolled down her cheeks. She then closed her eyes and brought her lips to Kai's.

An amazing sight was then seen before everyone. The point of contact began to glow with a beautiful white light. The light shot up into the air and lit up the entire sky.

"What's happening?!" Toad exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Zero replied.

The transparent image of a red-winged Goddess appeared above them.

"I don't believe it!" Mario exclaimed.

"What?" Serena asked.

"The mythological goddess of life, Phoenix," Mario said. "That means only one thing."

Phoenix then lifted a staff high into the air. The white light that appeared in the kiss expanded and surrounded both Kai and Hazel.

"What is this?!" Sonic asked. "Some sort of magic?"

"It's a spell that was said to even elude the magical minds of the Avians," Mario said. "A spell said to be only obtained by the immortals themselves: **Life**."

Then the goddess in the sky disappeared as the light faded away. Everyone then watched in awe as Kai began to twitch. His eyes then slowly opened as he saw Hazel in front of him. Smiles immediately grew on everyone's face. Hazel looked the most surprised of them all.

"What?" Kai asked sleepily. "What's everyone staring at?"

Tears of joy streamed gleefully down Hazel's face.

"Kai!" Hazel screamed happily as she pulled the confused Kai into a deep hug.

Everyone finally cheered with joy at the victory.

"How did that spell work?" Toad asked Mario.

"There are many kinds of magic," Mario answered. "Some kinds, like love, can work in mysterious ways."

Toad still looked confused, but he accepted the answer. Everyone surrounded Kai and Hazel as they cheered them on. They then saw that Erika was glowing in a golden light. They all looked towards her. They then saw that she was slowly disappearing from her feet up.

"I guess that I'm disappearing because the future has changed," Erika said.

Everyone except Kai looked shocked.

"I guess this is good-bye," Erika said. "I was hoping…that we could spend more time…together."

"Do you really have to go?" Serena asked.

"Yes," Erika answered. "Farewell, everyone."

Erika smiled and a single tear rolled down her face as she completely disappeared.

"Let's head back to the guild," Zero said.

"Yeah, we all deserve a good rest," Toad said.

Over the next few days, the rubble from the battle was cleaned up. After everything was cleaned up, all of the allies went home. Kai's group, however, began discussing what their next plan was.

"So what do we do now?" Toad asked.

"Jobs have been kinda slow ever since word got out about all of the destruction that happened here," Zero said.

"You'd think things would go faster thanks to the publicity!" Serena exclaimed.

"Well…I've been thinking…" Kai began.

Everyone turned to face him.

"Maybe it's time to take a break," Kai suggested.

Everyone looked shocked by what Kai had said.

"Stop adventuring?!" Toad exclaimed.

"Kai, are you feeling alright?" Serena asked.

"I'm fine," Kai said. "I was just thinking that it was about time we took a break."

"Do you mean that you want us to split up?" Toad asked.

"I guess you could put it that way," Kai said. "Maybe we should all get on with our lives. Right?"

"I guess I could get back with Toadette," Toad said. "We haven't seen each other in so long that it'd probably be best for our relationship."

"I don't know about all of you, but I'm staying," Serena said. "There's so much hidden treasure in the world that's begging to be found by me!"

"I've got a guess about the plan that Kai and Hazel have," Toad said.

Toad, Serena, and Zero noticed that Kai and Hazel seemed closer than ever. The two of them merely smiled giddily.

"What about you, Zero?" Hazel asked.

"I got a job offer from my home village," Zero said. "I was planning on heading there eventually."

They were all silent for a minute.

"Then…is this good-bye?" Serena asked.

"Less 'good-bye'," Kai said. "It's more like 'see you later'."

"Then it's probably best for us to leave in the morning," Zero said. "Since Serena's staying here, then it'll just be the four of us sailing off."

"Alright," Kai said. "We set sail in the morning."

The following morning, Serena waved good-bye to the ship she formally lived on. As she stood on the port watching the ship float away, she felt an array of mixed emotions, but she knew it was for the best.

"I guess I'll get back to work," Serena thought. "Treasure isn't going to find itself."

Once the ship was out of sight, Serena began to head back to the guild. A few days later, the remaining four in Kai's group stopped off at an island that only Zero knew about.

"So this is where you live?" Kai asked.

"Yeah," Zero said.

Zero stepped off of the ship and stepped onto the island.

"You guys should head to the Mushroom Kingdom," Zero said. "Say hi to everyone for me."

Kai then walked up to Zero and shook his hand.

"Thanks for the memories," Kai said.

"I still want that rematch someday," Zero said.

"Maybe someday," Kai said.

Kai stepped back onto the ship, which then began to set sail once more. Zero waved good-bye to Kai, Toad, and Hazel as they sailed further and further away. Soon, the ship was gone.

"Zero!" a voice called out from behind Zero.

Zero turned around and saw Maria and Master Neo.

"I'm back," Zero said.

"So your training was a success?" Master Neo asked.

"More or less," Zero answered.

"Then I have nothing else to teach you," Master Neo said. "You're your own master now. Pass everything you've learned onto your own pupil."

"Thank you, sensei," Zero said as he bowed to his master.

"You've grown up so much, Zero!" Maria exclaimed. "I feel like a proud older sister."

Zero then followed his former master and Maria back across the island. After such a long time, he was finally home.

Just a couple of days later, Kai, Hazel, and Toad reached the Mushroom Kingdom. As they entered the main city, they were given a hero's welcome. The townspeople cheered them on.

"So you guys will be staying one night, right?" Toad asked.

"I guess," Kai said. "But we'll be heading for Magica Island first thing in the morning."

"Before I start my new life, I have to see my family again," Hazel said.

"Let's think about all of that in the morning," Toad said. "For now, let's get something to eat."

So they all enjoyed dinner and sleep. The following morning, Kai, Hazel, and Toad met up in the main hall of the castle.

"So I guess Hazel and I should first get a ship," Kai said.

"What are you talking about?" Toad asked. "You've got a ship."

"But that ship is…" Kai began.

"The S.S. Mushroom was mine," Toad said. "That ship was built by Amelia specifically for you. Let's call it a farewell gift."

Kai then walked up to Toad and shook his hand.

"Be sure to visit once in a while," Toad said.

"Sure thing," Kai said.

Kai, Hazel, Toad, Toadsworth, Toadette, Peach, Mario, and Luigi all headed for the port. Kai and Hazel stepped onto the ship and turned to face them all.

"It's weird saying good-bye to Toad," Kai said.

"Yeah," Hazel said.

They were all silent for a minute. Toad was the first to make a sound.

"See you later, Kai and Hazel!" Toad shouted.

Everyone began to wave good-bye. With Kai working the sails and Hazel steering the ship, the ship began to set sail. The two of them sailed alone away from the familiar land. Soon, the Mushroom Kingdom was out of sight.

"So, which sound's like a better home: Wyvern Hill or Mt. Travail?" Kai asked.

"Anywhere's good as long as we're together, Kai," Hazel said.

The two of them then kissed as their ship sailed towards the horizon. Everything was as it should be once again.

(The story isn't over yet! We still have a surprise chapter to go!)


	45. Epilogue: 20 Years Later

**Kai and the Divine Medallion**

**Epilogue: 20 Years Later**

It had been twenty years since Kai's group had separated. Everything was as peaceful as they could be. In the Mushroom Kingdom, they were preparing the World Smash Tournament.

In charge of this tournament was the new ambassador of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad. With his travel experience and fame, he was a natural at the job. He has been viewed as the best ambassador in years.

Toad had married Toadette five years after separating from Kai. Though Toad's job requires him to travel, the two of them have absolutely no marital problems.

Toad was taking an account of all of the entries.

"These new fighters are nothing compared to what Kai and I had to fight," Toad thought to himself. "They wouldn't last a second against Ganondorf."

He then laughed a bit as he remembered his adventures. He then heard footsteps coming towards his table.

"Alright," Toad said. "Welcome to the W.S.T. Are you…"

He then noticed who it was. Standing before him was an older Zero. Zero looked like he was keeping up with his training. He wore a new black ninja outfit with a black vest on top. On his vest were many pockets, possibly to hold various weapons or papers.

"Hey there," Zero said.

"Zero!" Toad exclaimed. "It's been too long!"

Zero shook Toad's hand.

"I heard about you becoming ambassador," Zero said. "I had to see it for myself."

"So, are you entering?" Toad asked.

"Not me," Zero said. "I brought some others with me."

Toad then watched as three young ninjas walked over the horizon. They were all about 12 or 13 years old. One was a boy with short, brunette hair and green eyes. He wore a red shirt with blue pants. The next was a girl with long, white hair. She had blue eyes. She wore a light-blue kunoichi's dress. The last was another boy. He had spiky, red hair and brown eyes. He wore a white shirt and black pants.

"I'd like to introduce you to my squad," Zero said. "They are Tohru, Grace, and Akira."

Tohru was the brunette boy, Grace was the girl, and Akira was the red-haired boy.

"So you lead a ninja squad?" Toad asked. "Was that the job you mentioned?"

"Yes," Zero said. "It took a while, but I found a good squad. We've already gone on many missions."

"Most of those missions just involved finding someone's lost pet!" Akira complained. "We only had one real mission!"

"We take all missions that we are given," Zero said. "Whether they are big or small, it's our job to do them and get payment for the village. And, as I said earlier, this tournament is your reward for your good job. You deserve a challenge."

"Alright!" Akira exclaimed. "Sign me up! I'll take them all down!"

"He's so embarrassing," Grace groaned.

"He can't seem to calm down for a second," Tohru said.

"So are they all signing up?" Toad asked.

"I'm not," Grace said.

"Grace is not as much of a fighter as the other two," Zero said. "She is, however, an expert at healing."

"Alright," Toad said. "I'll get your paperwork ready. Now you just have to fill out the information on this form."

Toad then handed a form to each of them. He then gave them pens to write with. The two of them began to fill out the paperwork. Meanwhile, another person snuck up slowly behind Zero.

"Sneaking up on a ninja isn't a wise move, Serena," Zero said.

Toad and Grace then noticed that Serena was behind Zero. She still had short, blonde hair. She wore an adventurer's dress.

"Serena!" Toad exclaimed.

"So you guys are the same as you've always been," Serena said. "Except of course…"

Serena looked over at Zero's squad.

"Did Zero take up baby-sitting?" Serena asked.

All of Zero's Genin looked annoyed.

"Who are you calling babies?!" Akira shouted.

"I'm training these shinobi," Zero said. "How about you?"

"I heard you became a trader," Toad said.

"Exactly," Serena said. "I own my own trading company."

"So did you give up treasure-hunting completely?" Toad asked.

"Of course not!" Serena shouted. "I do it as a side-job. While I'm out adventuring, my partner Tsubasa is doing all of the boring stuff."

"Tsubasa's working for you?" Toad asked.

"Yep," Serena said. "I suggested the idea and he was all for it."

"So you just hired him so you could dump all of the work on him, right?" Zero said.

Serena was silent for a moment. At this point, all of them lost respect for her.

"Um…well…hey!" Serena exclaimed. "Have they arrived yet?"

"If you mean Kai and Hazel, then no," Toad said. "I haven't heard from them since they settled down on Wyvern Hill."

"Isn't that place full of ferocious dragons?!" Grace shouted. "What the hell possessed someone to live there?!"

"This Kai guy sounds like my kind of warrior!" Akira exclaimed.

"Kai's always been a danger-loving buffoon," Zero said. "In fact, you remind me of him, Akira."

"Did you just call me a buffoon?!" Akira shouted.

"Nothing gets past you," Grace and Tohru said sarcastically.

Just then, two Mushroom soldiers walked up to Toad.

"What is it?" Toad asked.

"We have a problem, Mr. Ambassador," one of the soldiers said. "We have intruders in the gardens."

"Is it Bowser Jr. again?" Toad asked. "That kid never gives up!"

"Not him, sir," the second soldier said. "In fact, we're not sure who it is. But we have confirmed this. There are only two, and both of them are…"

The soldier looked embarrassed.

"Are what?" Toad asked.

"Kids," the soldier said.

"Kids?" Toad asked.

"Your men couldn't handle a couple of kids?" Serena asked.

"These kids seem to elude us!" the soldier exclaimed. "We can't catch them!"

"Alright, call back your men," Zero said. "We'll take this as a mission."

Zero turned towards his squad.

"Alright, Squad 19," Zero said. "Our mission is to capture the two kids. Bring them back here without harming them."

"No problem, Zero Sensei!" Akira shouted.

"We'll complete it before the tournament begins," Tohru said.

"Then…go!" Zero shouted.

The three Genin jumped into the air and headed for the gardens. Meanwhile, two kids were sneaking through the gardens. One was a 12-year-old girl. She had long, brunette hair and purple eyes. She wore a red bandana on her head. She wore a red shirt and blue pants as well as brown boots. Tied on her back was a sword that was her size.

Next to her was a six-year-old boy with short, brown hair. He wore a green robe and had brown boots as well. While the girl looked like a girl on a mission, the boy looked a little scared.

"Hikari, I'm not sure this is a good idea," the boy said.

"Don't worry about a thing, Takeshi," Hikari said. "Those silly fungus guys can't find us."

"But we'll get in trouble if we're caught," Takeshi cried.

"Don't cry, little bro," Hikari said. "We won't get caught! I just want to do a little exploring!"

She then peered through the bushes that they hid behind. She saw the three Genin rush through the gardens. They separated and looked around the gardens. They all had communicators.

"Team, report!" Zero's voice said from inside the three communicators.

"Tohru here," Tohru said. "I've found nothing."

"I can't find them either," Grace said.

Akira stopped in front of Hikari's bush.

"I don't see anything," Akira said.

He then jumped away.

"It looks like they sent ninjas," Hikari whispered.

"Ninjas!" Takeshi screamed.

Hikari covered his mouth. Meanwhile, Akira turned back on his communicator.

"I think I heard something!" Akira exclaimed.

"I heard it too," Tohru said.

"It came from your area, Akira," Grace said.

"Crap!" Hikari whispered. "They found us! Let's move!"

Hikari then grabbed Takeshi's hand and rushed out of the bushes. Akira spotted them and began his chase.

"I'll get you!" Akira shouted.

"Let's hurry, Takeshi!" Hikari exclaimed.

Suddenly, three shuriken shot out and stuck in the ground below Hikari's feet. She and Takeshi stopped in their tracks. They then turned in a different direction as Tohru appeared from the bushes. Hikari and Takeshi continued to run some more. Soon, however, they were surrounded by all three Genin.

"We've got them," Akira said.

"Takeshi!" Hikari exclaimed. "I kinda need your help here! Use your magic!"

"But…Mommy said not to use it except in an emergency," Takeshi said.

"This kinda is an emergency!" Hikari exclaimed.

Takeshi decided not to disagree with his sister. He then focused magic into his hands. Suddenly, several vines shot out and grabbed the Genin.

"What is this?!" Grace exclaimed.

"My bro here is a Geomancer," Hikari said. "His power works on the area. Now let's move!"

Hikari and Takeshi began to run.

"I'm scared!" Takeshi cried.

"Don't worry," Hikari said. "But we'd be best to split up."

"Split up?!" Takeshi cried.

"It'll be harder for them to catch us if we're separated," Hikari said. "Just get moving and don't get caught!"

Hikari and Takeshi then ran in different directions. The three Genin managed to get out of the vines that held them.

"Let's get them," Tohru said. "Akira, you go after the girl. Grace and I have the boy."

"No problem!" Akira replied.

The three of them chased after their targets. Despite running as fast as she could, Hikari couldn't outrun the ninja. Akira was closing in on her.

"He's persistent!" Hikari exclaimed. "Well, I guess I have no choice."

Hikari then turned around and drew her sword.

"One-on-one!" Hikari shouted. "You and me!"

"Fine then!" Akira shouted. "Bring it on!"

Meanwhile, Zero, Toad, and Serena were still at the entry table.

"Those three sure are taking a while," Serena said.

"Don't worry," Zero said. "They're a little wet behind the ears, but they get the job done."

Tohru and Grace then appeared in front of the three of them. They had Takeshi in their hands.

"We caught him, Sensei," Grace said.

"Good job," Zero said.

Takeshi began to cry when Zero got close to him.

"I want my mommy!" Takeshi cried.

"We're not going to hurt you," Serena said. "Just tell us where your momma is."

"He's not getting into trouble, is he?" a female voice said.

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice.

"Mommy!" Takeshi happily exclaimed.

"No way!" Toad gasped.

"You?!" Serena exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Hikari and Akira began their battle. Akira used his kunai knives to fight against Hikari and her sword. Their blades clashed as the two of them lunged towards each other. The sound of clashing metal echoed through the gardens. Soon, Akira jumped back.

"Giving up?" Hikari asked.

"Not yet," Akira said.

He formed a hand-sign.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu**!" Akira shouted.

Four clouds of smoke appeared behind him. From the smoke, five more Akiras appeared.

"So it is true!" Hikari exclaimed. "Ninjas can clone themselves!"

"Get ready for the full force of our attack!" all six Akiras shouted.

One Akira jumped in and punched her, making Hikari lose her balance. Four other Akiras then surrounded her and slid in for kicks. The first Akira then launched the sixth Akira into the air. The four sliding Akiras kicked Hikari into the air. The sixth Akira flipped in the air.

"**Akira Barrage**!" Akira shouted.

He kicked down towards Hikari. Hikari saw then and managed to grab Akira's leg. She then threw him down towards the other five Akiras, destroying them all. Hikari then landed on the ground.

"You're good," Akira said.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Hikari said. "Let's do this!"

Hikari and Akira then charged towards each other for a final attack.

"This is it!" Hikari shouted.

"I agree!" Akira shouted.

Just before their two attacks hit, an adult appeared between them and knocked their attacks to the side. Hikari and Akira saw who it was, but only Hikari knew who it was. She looked a bit scared and guilty when she saw him.

The man before them was muscular. He wore a red shirt, a yellow jacket, blue pants, and brown boots. He had purple eyes and brown hair. Tied around his right arm was an old-looking red bandana. On his back was the legendary Excalibur.

"Dad," Hikari said sadly.

Zero then appeared right behind them.

"So it was you, Kai," Zero said.

Kai turned to face his old friend. He merely smiled in his usual goofy manner.

"Hey, Zero," Kai said. "Has Hikari been getting into trouble again?"

"Again?" Zero asked.

"Yeah," Kai said. "She tends to be a bit rebellious. This isn't the first time she's run off to go exploring. She's done this about ten times, three of which she took her brother along."

"I should've guessed that she was yours," Zero said.

Kai then turned to face Hikari.

"We might want to hurry back," Kai said. "Your mom's a little angry."

Hikari looked down in shame. A minute later, they were all back at the entry table. Hikari stood face-to-face with her mother.

"IDIOT!!" Hazel shouted to her daughter. "How many times have I told you not to run off?! If that wasn't enough, you took your brother with you! Don't you know how worried we were?!"

Hikari apologized over and over as her mother continued to shout at her. Meanwhile, Toad, Kai, Zero, and Serena were in the middle of a conversation.

"So you had two kids?" Toad asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Being a parent isn't as easy as it sounds," Kai said. "I can barely find time to do my daily chores, much less think about stuff like that. I tend to spend much time with my kids."

"So is she really that rebellious?" Serena asked.

"Not only that, she has a thirst for adventure," Kai said. "I've told her all of the stories from our past adventures. She can't get enough of them."

"Sounds troublesome," Toad said.

"Not really," Kai said. "In fact, it can be fun sometimes."

"Kai, there has to be more of a reason you guys are here besides to talk to us," Zero said.

Kai turned to face Zero and smiled.

"You're right," Kai said. "I came to enter Hikari in the tournament."

"You did?" Toad asked.

"She may not look like it, but she's been through some sword training," Kai said. "I think it's about time she gets some real-world experience."

"That's a good idea," Toad said.

"In fact, she'll be up against two of my students," Zero said. "So we will have that rematch, though indirectly."

"Yeah," Kai said.

Hazel, Hikari, Takeshi, and the three Genin joined the rest of them.

"Are you sure entering Hikari in this tournament is such a good idea?" Hazel asked. "She's rebellious enough as it is. We don't need to support it even more!"

"Trust me on this," Kai said. "I think that this will help us a bit."

"If you're sure," Hazel said. "But I hope you're right."

"Alright," Kai said as he turned back to Toad. "Sign her up!"

The following day, the tournament began.

"Welcome to the World Smash Tournament!" Toad announced through a microphone.

The whole crowd cheered with joy and anticipation.

"This tournament is dedicated to the royal family of the Mushroom Kingdom, who generously funded everything that went into this competition!"

He pointed to the King, Queen, and Prince of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, Peach, and their son sat in a royal booth high above the stadium. They all waved to everyone below them.

"Now let's get this thing started!" Toad shouted.

Everyone cheered.

"One hundred fighters have come together for this tournament among tournaments for one purpose: to take away the trophy proving they are the best of the best!" Toad continued. "Let's meet our first two fighters!"

Two fighters stepped into the ring in the center of the stadium. On the left was Hikari. On the right was Akira.

"Introducing, Hikari Kamai and Akira Kishimoto!" Toad shouted.

Hikari and Akira got into their fighting stances.

"Looks like we get to finish our fight," Akira said.

"I can't wait," Hikari said.

"Then let this match…begin!" Toad exclaimed.

As he watched the two fighters charge towards each other, Kai couldn't help but feel glad that such a peaceful world exists for them. He knew that the world was safe in the hands of warriors such as those fighting in the arena. As a new generation of fighters took the stage, Kai finally felt he could put down his sword. Everything was peaceful.

_Fin_.


End file.
